Transman loses baby during hysterectomy

[ItsFunToBeAVampire]

Transgender patient loses unborn baby while undergoing hysterectomy while four months pregnant https://mol.im/a/12387829

This article is horrifying.
In my experience women are always given pregnancy tests before surgery, what the hell happened here?

Yeah, they don't usually. The more c-sections you have, the higher the risk too, so it's relevant to women who might intend larger families. It was a pretty unusual thing back when c-sections were less common.

It's not a viable pregnancy when it happens, is dangerous, and generally I think requires a hysterectomy.

Christ.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned working in healthcare, it’s that you never trust someone who says they aren’t pregnant until you see a negative pregnancy test.

Everyone in this situation fucked up.

HE?!

There are three ways a hysterectomy can be performed. Carrying out a hysterectomy vaginally is one of them, but given the ovaries were being removed at the same time, it is likely this was abdominal surgery.

this is why in the UK, unless someone is past menopause or had a hysterectomy - we do a pregnancy test. no matter what the patient says... "I am celibate" "I had my period" etc etc
if they absolutely refuse, they sign a disclaimer to take responsibility

and not just for ops but a range of other diagnostics and treatments

I don't think this was a trans issue, I think they genuinely had a policy issue and it was a Swiss cheese situation

Precisely I find this very hard to believe that it’s the medical professionals fault.

Medical professionals do, sometimes, make mistakes. Very big ones. No-one is infallible.

Me too

Of course mistakes happen in hospitals (as in all workplaces). But it's much easier to make mistakes in an environment where you're told not to believe the evidence of your eyes, where words can mean their exact opposite, where you are being policed for WrongThink and where stating truth and reality can be career-ending.

Not on something that basic. As I say, I do I find it hard to believe. A far more likely scenario is it The patients lied or intimidated the healthcare professional into backing down rather than insisting on the test. But we’re not allowed to say that are we ?

This

If they are meant to live as a man, then surely that does not include having a penis put inside their vagina.

The patient claims to have requested a pregnancy test. This is a trans individual - do you not think that in the current climate the hospital wouldn't have been jumping backwards through flaming hoops to accommodate her demands?

I think she's mistaken. I have worked with surgeons in the past, and been present when they have clearly explained the implications of surgery and treatment to patients - any possible complications/ side effects etc, and the patients have confirmed that they have understood and are happy to go ahead.

I have then on occasion heard these same patients deny that X or Y was mentioned - and they certainly weren't told anything about Z! It's not lying, as such, it's just that it's human nature to want to go ahead and be "cured", and also to want to blame someone when that "cure" comes with even minor complications or restrictions (eg to diet etc as in gall bladder surgery) and to deny that they were told. They truly don't believe that they were informed.

I think that this TM has denied any chance that she could be pregnant and now - whether from guilt or another reason - cannot accept the responsibility.

I honestly do not think that any hospital would omit such a basic test procedure, particularly when is is easy, quick and cheap to administer, and carries no risk to the patient.

But ‘hysterectomy’ on the form might be a clue that man / male on the details might merit further thought.

I see we're back to "the woman lied". Its a classic, I'll give you that.

As gender critical as I am, I have to say that this comment is (a) not relevant and (b) daft.

My friend was in a straight marriage, actively TTC and they didn't ask or test her before a procedure. She was six weeks pregnant with a history of MC - luckily he clung on!

I had a particular medication denied me because they'd run out of tests at the GP, and they couldn't verify if I was pregnant.

It seems astonishing when test strips can be 5 for a quid

You'd think so.

I could direct you to discussions on terms which Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust recommended for use by health care providers - well, one term in particular.

JCCT didn't "recommend" any words.

They published a glossary for HCPs to list words that patients may use about themselves.

This is a 'never' event.

Questions shouldn't be asked with a hysterectomy. Who the hell thinks thats sufficient?

Gender is irrelevant. Patients won't necessarily tell the truth especially in the presence of a partner. Infidelity, concealment or denial of pregnancy, abuse or assault being difficult to talk about are factors that exist regardless of gender.* *Being trans gender simply may have made these factors more likely.

No hysterectomy should be done without the relevant tests and checking for pregnancy. No exceptions.

Someone who calls themselves a man, who is actually a women, is lying yes.

In this instance, is it clear what made the nurse say that a test was not needed?

If not then it could be policy, it could be ommission or it could be lies.

I think the fact that they haven't specifically stated suggests that it could well be that she said she was a man that swayed the nurse into saying one wasn't needed. So probably policy.

But if that is not the case, it could be an ommission [ie not asking the right questions in the first place] or a lie to a question that was asked.

Its why we document interactions surely? So that these can be revisited when things go wrong.

Sounds like severe negligence on the part of the hospital.
But were they negligent because they took team trans into account or would this have happened to any woman on the day...

We need to see the questions and answers to know but I'm guessing this is personal data.

And I'm guessing we all know what answers will generate a "not pregnant" response after piv sex. If the sex question was correctly answered at the time. People can forget.... add a bit of trying hard not to offend and mix in the possibility of hormone replacement and I think this was a disaster waiting for the right circumstances. I really don't think any other woman would have had this happen to them without telling outright lies... being trans and how the hospital or nurse reacted to this is pertinent in this case.

Like all things healthcare related, the biological sex should have overridden all other concerns to keep everyone safe... the hospital will need to forego feelings in future...
This is a disaster.

Alright, then, listed.

The term is also defined on Wiktionary, among other places. So not just listed by JCCT.