Should I complain about sonographer that did 20 week ultrasound?

[louisexemma]

Hi all,

So im going to be a first time mum and two weeks ago we went for our routine 20 week scan at Worthing hospital in West Sussex. During the scan the sonographer was very quiet and I kept asking if everything was ok to which he replied “yes everything is fine”. He then asked us to go for a walk down the corridor to hopefully move baby into another position - again I asked if everything was ok and he said yes. When we came back he was looking at the Euro 2020 fixtures on his computer. He then took more measurements and then hit us with that the baby had fluid around his heart, the posterior ventricle on his brain was measuring bigger than it should and his arms and legs were measuring small, all after repeatedly saying everything was fine. We were absolutely floored and totally distraught. He took us to another room which felt like one of those rooms where they tell you someone has died but wouldnt give anymore information of what it could be or what it could mean. A midwife came in and told us that we were being referred to a specialist consultant in London the very next day. We went home in floods of tears thinking the worst.

We didn’t sleep at all that night and the next day travelled to London to see the specialist. We saw a professor of fetal medicine who scanned me again and said there was absolutely no fluid around the heart, the posterior ventricle was measuring fine, his arms were fine and his legs were a little on the small side but still within range. So basically the first sonographers measurements were very much out. I had the NIPT test just to rule out any chromosomal abnormalities and had to wait 5 days for the results but that came back very low risk. I am still under the care of the specialist just to keep an eye on babys growth but we feel a lot more reassured that baby is ok.

Should I complain about the initial sonographer? Like how can his measurements be so off? Why keep saying everything was fine when it wasnt? Was his eye off the ball because he was too busy checking football fixtures? I know they have to be cautious but I feel like his measurements were not done properly and he shouldnt be putting a pregnant woman through that amount of worry and stress - especially when it turns out that everything was actually ok.

I don't think I would complain, but totally understand why you would want to.

From the scans I've had, I think it is quite difficult sometimes to get the baby at the right angle to measure/ see all the different bits they need to.
At my last scan they thought there was a problem and called another sonographer into the room to get a second opinion. I do think that he should have done this and that might have saved you the stress and having to see the consultant.

Best of luck with the rest of your pregnancy

Sounds like baby was being a tinker and in a shit position. I had similar at my 20 week scan and was sent to a more specialised place where it was all fine. Better to be refered to make sure. There's nothing to complain about definitely.

Hope the rest of your pregnancy is boring and none eventful.

Like PPs I would not complain. You shouldn’t keep asking if everything is OK when they are busy scanning but it sounds as though you weren’t warned at the start that they would be quiet. They are not just looking, they are capturing the best images they can of a moving target, and doing precise measuring.
I hear what you’re saying about them talking during the early scans but those are much easier for the sonographer!

I'd complain.but I'd complain that he's checking football during an examination as well as his bedside manner and his results

How can the results be sooo off?

But he wasn't checking the football DURING the exam, it was while OP was out of the room for a walk to try and change baby position? What should he have been doing instead during that empty time?

I wouldn't complain.

I had bad news at the 20weeks scan with my first. If I'm honest the process here sounds very similar.

The sonographer didn't say anything for the whole scan, said she needed to get a better view, sent me for a walk, came back continued scanning and then told me the bad news. I assume she sent me for a walk in order to talk to someone and also allow her to double check.

It turned out my bad news was actually nothing too. The weeks waiting while they did tests were the most horrific days of my life. But I'd rather the sonographer had told me and sent it for investigation than ignored it (incase she was wrong).

I ended up seeing the sonographer for another scan later in the pregnancy and she was great. Talked in the scan, gave me lots of pictures, said she was glad it all turned out ok.

@Luckyelephant1

But he wasn't checking the football DURING the exam, it was while OP was out of the room for a walk to try and change baby position? What should he have been doing instead during that empty time?

So?? It's unprofessional. It wouldn't have mattered so much if he was effective at his job but I can understanding OP linking his attention was somewhere else and then the results were off.

@Luckyelephant1

But he wasn't checking the football DURING the exam, it was while OP was out of the room for a walk to try and change baby position? What should he have been doing instead during that empty time?

This. I imagine breaks for NHS staff are few and far between right now. What he was doing when op wasn't actually there is none of her business. Would she have complained if he'd taken the opportunity to have a toilet break?

I'm so sorry you had this experience, it must have been really upsetting. I am so glad that it turned out that your baby is ok.

I work for the NHS and I would encourage you to feedback your patient experience. It helps the service improve care in the future so others may have better experiences.

@Rubyrecka so what should he have been doing in that 5-10 mins of time in an empty room then? Nothing to scan, can't get another patient in in the meantime. Can't get a second opinion yet because he hadn't yet been able to take the required measurements on OP's scan hence the need to send her for a walk. Was he supposed to sit there twiddling his thumbs? I can see why it looked unprofessional to OP though, he probably should have cleared the screen before she came in or at least just checked it on his phone.

OP hope the rest of the pregnancy goes well x

He did his job.
He was concerned about the scan and double checked.
On double check he was still concerned, was open, and did not lie to you about the reasons for his concern. He got you an immediate specialist referral .

Trust me, this is  vastly preferable to a medical  professional who  fudges the news to spare his own  feelings. Because he hates being the one to break  bad news./can't  cope with crying patients.

[quote Luckyelephant1]@Rubyrecka so what should he have been doing in that 5-10 mins of time in an empty room then? Nothing to scan, can't get another patient in in the meantime. Can't get a second opinion yet because he hadn't yet been able to take the required measurements on OP's scan hence the need to send her for a walk. Was he supposed to sit there twiddling his thumbs? I can see why it looked unprofessional to OP though, he probably should have cleared the screen before she came in or at least just checked it on his phone.

OP hope the rest of the pregnancy goes well x[/quote]
With all due respect it's a medical setting and he's there to check for anomalies. He could be the best sonographer in the world but to be seen mid patient checking football doesn't scream that all eyes are on the job in hand. Coupled with the inconsistency in results i totally get why OP questioned it.

Percept is reality.

@NewmummyJ

I'm so sorry you had this experience, it must have been really upsetting. I am so glad that it turned out that your baby is ok.

I work for the NHS and I would encourage you to feedback your patient experience. It helps the service improve care in the future so others may have better experiences.

I agree. I wouldnt "complain" but I would give feedback. It would for example be helpful if the sonographer said "theres the heartbeat " right at the start then explained theyd take a while to look for all the measurements etc so I do tend to go quiet here, then said okay hes lying in a way I cant see properly so could you go walk around. Basically his bedside manner was poor, and can be improved with feedback!

Yes you should complain! The sonographer shouldn’t be giving out information such as that as There’s a chance it’s incorrect, as it was in your case. The more appropriate thing would have been to say, I’m going to refer you to a colleague more specialised to get a clearer view of baby’s brain. They aren’t supposed to give diagnostic information.

The same thing happened to me at 12 weeks, I was told the baby was hydropic and had a high NT and fluid around the heart and this was indicative of downs and or congenital heart problems. Cue a week of worrying myself sick. Fetal med said all the measurements were incorrect. The consultants were really unhappy with the sonographer and he was put on retraining. They also advised me to complain (which I didn’t, I was too relieved all was ok)

But I think it’s worthwhile complaining as the sonographer can undergo some retraining and the hospital can make sure patients aren’t worried unnecessarily. Xx

@Grumpasaurus

I wouldn't complain op- it sounds like he did everything right!

I am so sorry for the stress but it sounds like something came up that concerned him, he explained to you what he saw, and referred you onward for confirmatory testing- as per protocol. Sometimes it can be hard for them to get the right measurements- mine were hard because I carry so much weight in that part of my body!

All is well and he was just doing his job.

I am sure he was just looking at euro fixtures as a break- it is his job remember!

They shouldn’t give diagnostic type information Hun xx

Hun... Christ.

@GreyhoundG1rl

Hun... Christ.

No offense was meant.

Don’t want to derail OPs thread

X