Thousands of Aussies at risk due to doctor's faulty colonoscopies, recall issued
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[Content warning: this article contains images some may find distressing.]
It’s an unfortunate reality that even with the most advanced medical technology, there are still some risks associated with our safety.
Today’s news from Safer Care Victoria (SCV) reminds us of that, with the healthcare watchdog issuing a ‘recall’ of more than 2,000 public and private colonoscopies that have been conducted across the Albury (NSW)-Wodonga (VIC) region between 2018 and 2022.
Evidence collected by an independent panel of experts found issues in some of the colonoscopies performed or supervised by the same surgeon, Dr Liu-Ming Schmidt, throughout Albury Wodonga Health, Albury Wodonga Private Hospital and Insight Private Hospital.
‘An investigation has found that some colonoscopies performed or supervised by the surgeon were incomplete, which may have affected the accuracy of the resulting diagnoses,’ SCV said.
‘The types of issues identified as part of the clinical investigation include Dr Schmidt taking insufficient time to complete the procedure as well as other issues related to thoroughness.’
‘In the majority of cases the risk to patients is low, however to ensure patient safety, many affected patients will need to undergo a repeat colonoscopy as a precautionary measure.’
Colonoscopies are procedures which involve sending a tiny camera through a patient’s bowel to look for certain problems or symptoms, or simply to check after a positive result on a bowel screening test.
While it remains unclear what specific circumstances led investigators to conclude that Dr Schmidt had made errors in the colonoscopies she conducted, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care notes in its Colonoscopy Clinical Care Standard that the entire colon of a patient should be examined, which allows for the discovery of any suspicious details such as polyps.
Any tissue or polyps removed from the colon should also be sent to labs for analysis.
Lastly, there should also be records kept of the procedure to document findings and problems that occurred in the process.
Follow-up treatments are not recommended for other procedures Dr Schmidt performed such as skin cancer and breast and thyroid surgery.
‘We understand this is a distressing issue for patients and their families and we are sorry for their experience. It is not the standard of care that they deserve or that we expect — and we are taking steps to rectify this as soon as possible,’ they added.
‘Those affected will be contacted directly and then individually assessed to ensure any further treatment can be scheduled as soon as possible – with the most urgent patients to be seen within 30 days.’
Patients who will incur travel and accommodation costs in relation to the recall will be supported, according to SCV.
They also refrained from giving out any medical signs or symptoms affected patients should watch out for as each of the 2,000 cases will be assessed individually.
Those with concerns related to the recall can reach the SCV support line at 1800-950-677.
It is understood that Dr Schmidt is not actively practising in the twin-city region of Albury-Wodonga.
A look at her profile in the Australian Health Practitioner Agency (AHPRA) as of writing reveals that she has been disallowed from practising medicine as well.
NSW’s Health Care Complaints Commission is also looking to investigate Dr Schimidt further to determine what other appropriate actions should be taken against her.
AHPRA has no powers to investigate medical complaints in NSW, unlike other states and territories.
Most notably, Dr Schmidt was involved in a coronial inquest into a man’s death as a result of a botched surgery she performed in 2019.
Source: YouTube/Sky News Australia
So, what are your thoughts on this story? Do you have a similar experience with incompetence in medicine? What happened?
Tell us your reactions and experiences below!
It’s an unfortunate reality that even with the most advanced medical technology, there are still some risks associated with our safety.
Today’s news from Safer Care Victoria (SCV) reminds us of that, with the healthcare watchdog issuing a ‘recall’ of more than 2,000 public and private colonoscopies that have been conducted across the Albury (NSW)-Wodonga (VIC) region between 2018 and 2022.
Evidence collected by an independent panel of experts found issues in some of the colonoscopies performed or supervised by the same surgeon, Dr Liu-Ming Schmidt, throughout Albury Wodonga Health, Albury Wodonga Private Hospital and Insight Private Hospital.
‘An investigation has found that some colonoscopies performed or supervised by the surgeon were incomplete, which may have affected the accuracy of the resulting diagnoses,’ SCV said.
‘The types of issues identified as part of the clinical investigation include Dr Schmidt taking insufficient time to complete the procedure as well as other issues related to thoroughness.’
‘In the majority of cases the risk to patients is low, however to ensure patient safety, many affected patients will need to undergo a repeat colonoscopy as a precautionary measure.’
Hundreds of thousands of Medicare-funded colonoscopies are performed in Australia yearly. Screengrab Credit: YouTube/Gold Coast Health
Colonoscopies are procedures which involve sending a tiny camera through a patient’s bowel to look for certain problems or symptoms, or simply to check after a positive result on a bowel screening test.
While it remains unclear what specific circumstances led investigators to conclude that Dr Schmidt had made errors in the colonoscopies she conducted, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care notes in its Colonoscopy Clinical Care Standard that the entire colon of a patient should be examined, which allows for the discovery of any suspicious details such as polyps.
Any tissue or polyps removed from the colon should also be sent to labs for analysis.
Lastly, there should also be records kept of the procedure to document findings and problems that occurred in the process.
Follow-up treatments are not recommended for other procedures Dr Schmidt performed such as skin cancer and breast and thyroid surgery.
‘We understand this is a distressing issue for patients and their families and we are sorry for their experience. It is not the standard of care that they deserve or that we expect — and we are taking steps to rectify this as soon as possible,’ they added.
‘Those affected will be contacted directly and then individually assessed to ensure any further treatment can be scheduled as soon as possible – with the most urgent patients to be seen within 30 days.’
Colonoscopies are a routine procedure that can detect potentially cancerous polyps. Stock Image Credit: Pexels/Alexandra Haddad
Patients who will incur travel and accommodation costs in relation to the recall will be supported, according to SCV.
They also refrained from giving out any medical signs or symptoms affected patients should watch out for as each of the 2,000 cases will be assessed individually.
Those with concerns related to the recall can reach the SCV support line at 1800-950-677.
It is understood that Dr Schmidt is not actively practising in the twin-city region of Albury-Wodonga.
A look at her profile in the Australian Health Practitioner Agency (AHPRA) as of writing reveals that she has been disallowed from practising medicine as well.
NSW’s Health Care Complaints Commission is also looking to investigate Dr Schimidt further to determine what other appropriate actions should be taken against her.
Safer Care Victoria came up with an infographic in relation to the recall. Image Credit: Safer Care Victoria
AHPRA has no powers to investigate medical complaints in NSW, unlike other states and territories.
Most notably, Dr Schmidt was involved in a coronial inquest into a man’s death as a result of a botched surgery she performed in 2019.
Source: YouTube/Sky News Australia
So, what are your thoughts on this story? Do you have a similar experience with incompetence in medicine? What happened?
Tell us your reactions and experiences below!
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