A family is calling for lessons to be learned after their son suffered a stroke when an artery in his brain was torn during surgery at a Birmingham hospital.
Arundeep Marva was undergoing surgery for a cancerous brain tumour at Queen Elizabeth Hospital when one of the main arteries in his brain was torn.
The surgery was abandoned. The then 18-year-old was left with severe speech difficulties and weakness down the right side of his body. He was unable to walk unaided and had no speech during his initial recovery.
Following the incident Arun’s parents, dad, Ravinder, 52, and mum, Rupinderjit, 49, instructed expert medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate their son’s care and help him access the specialist rehabilitation and therapies he requires.
University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), which runs the Queen Elizabeth, admitted liability for Arun’s injuries which happened in September 2018.
Arun, now aged 21 of Walsgrave-on-Sow, Coventry, has been attending neuro-rehabilitation, speech therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions.
He is able to walk unaided indoors but still suffers from ongoing weakness down the right side of his body. Arun has right foot drop and limited functional movement in his right arm and his right dominant hand. He has difficulties with understanding and expressing language, particularly finding the correct words.
His family and their legal team are now calling for lessons to be learned to improve patient safety at the Trust.
Last month the Care Quality Commission told UHB it required improvement amid concerns over patient safety.
Irwin Mitchell also represents other families whose loved ones have suffered a stroke after blood vessels in their brain were damaged during surgery at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. They include one case where a woman suffered a stroke after a blood vessel was damaged during surgery in October 2018.
Laura Ellacott, the expert medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Arun, said: “The injuries Arun suffered as a result of what happened to him during surgery have had a profound impact on his life, especially at an age when many of his friends were going off to study at university or starting their careers.
“While Arun’s recovery has been supported by early access to rehabilitation, Arun still faces many challenges to try and overcome his injuries the best he can.
“Sadly what happened to Arun isn’t an isolated incident at the Trust. While the incidents we’re investigating are from before the recent Care Quality Commission inspection, these cases and the CQC’s findings will be of great concern to many people.
“While we welcome the Trust’s swift admission in Arun’s case, we call on the Trust to ensure it learns lessons not only from what happened to Arun but others to make sure patient safety is improved.”
Arun, was studying for his A Levels at Cauldon College when he suffered a seizure playing football in 2018. Arun had received offers to study aerospace engineering at the University of Birmingham and Coventry University.
Following tests doctors confirmed he had a brain tumour and he required surgery to take a biopsy and remove as much of the tumour as possible. Arun underwent the biopsy surgery on 3 September 2018 during which the artery was torn leading to a stroke. Four days later he underwent further surgery.
Arun remained at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital until early October 2018 when he was discharged to the Central England Rehabilitation Unit. Arun was finally discharged home in late November 2018.
He also underwent 12 months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Ravinder said: “Arun was an ordinary teenager before all of this happened. He used to enjoy meeting his friends, playing football and was studying to go to university.
“However, all that changed following his stroke. He was in a really bad way afterwards and suddenly lost his growing independence.
“While he watched his friends go off to university or start their jobs, for him life revolved around medical appointments and learning to walk unaided again.
“Three years on he’s still a long way from being the person he was. He continues to struggle with his speech and has difficulty finding the right words. Arun’s ongoing weakness in the right side of his body meaning he struggles with day to day tasks.
“The last few years and seeing how life has turned out so differently for Arun has been difficult to accept. As a parent all you want is what’s best for your child.
“Despite his many challenges we couldn’t be prouder of Arun and the courage and determination he shows. We know it won’t be easy but he’s determined to make the best recovery he can.
“However, it’s also important that lessons are learned from what happened to Arun. Our family wouldn’t want others to go through what he has.”
Last month the Care Quality Commission told UHB it required improvement amid concerns over patient safety.
It followed visits to Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield in June.
