Woman’s dream retirement ruined as mesh surgery leaves her in constant pain
A woman says she has had to cancel her retirement plans due to being left in constant pain after having mesh surgery.
Consultant Antony Dixon has been suspended from practicing medicine for six months after being found guilty of misconduct by a medical tribunal.
He pioneered a type of mesh surgery but has since been found to have harmed patients.
Josie Ramsden suffered with constipation for years and was referred to Mr Dixon and had her first consultation with him in 2009.
She was told she needed Laparoscopic Ventral Mesh Rectopexy (LVMR) surgery, and was referred by the NHS to have the procedure performed at Bristol Spire Hospital by Mr Dixon.
“I live with pain,” she said. “I never know if I’m going to have another blockage.”
She added: “I’m very fortunate that my consultant now has an open appointment and I can see her when I need to, and I do. But that is the rest of my life now, and my husband’s life, and my family’s life - they’re always worried.”
She said the retirement plans she had with her husband have “gone out the window”, adding: “We have to plan everything - I can’t leave the house without knowing there’s a toilet within 15 minutes. If we go anywhere, my husband has to look up where all the toilets are.
“We always said that once we’d retired we’d spend the money travelling the world and go and see relatives in Australia and things like that… but no.”
She said she also avoids staying at other people’s houses and is unable to eat the food that she loves the most.
Josie also believes her surgery was not needed.
“I can honestly say that every operation was very quick,” she said. “There was never an alternative offered.
“I believe it’s true that if he’d have done one of the diagnostic tests before the LVMR I would never have had it because it clearly showed it was my bowel - not my pelvic floor.”
Josie is one of 200 patients who received an apology from North Bristol NHS Trust over unnecessary operations.
In response to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal findings against him, Mr Dixon has apologised to his patients.
He said: "I have accepted the findings of misconduct made against me by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal.
"Despite my wrongdoing, my only wish was to make [my patients] better. I considered that I was acting in my patients’ best interests, as the tribunal have accepted.
"I am very sorry and deeply regret the misconduct described by the Tribunal .... I am committed to learning from my mistakes and to .. regain[ing] people’s trust and to continue working towards becoming once again the ethical and trustworthy doctor that every patient deserves and one that I was previously recognised for.
"The tribunal has accepted the many supportive testimonials received from numerous patients of mine as well as my former colleagues."
The Spire Hospital and North Bristol NHS Trust declined to comment on individual cases citing patient best interests and privacy.
However in a statement a Spire spokesperson apologised “to all patients whose care with Mr Dixon fell below the standards that should have been provided”.
They added Mr Dixon was suspended in 2017 and has not worked there since, saying: “We also referred Mr Dixon to the GMC and worked closely with the GMC in its investigations.”
North Bristol NHS Trust's Chief Medical Officer Tim Whittlestone told ITV News Mr Dixon was dismissed in 2019.
“We have carried out a thorough and robust review of affected patients, and would like to reiterate our apology to all of these individuals,” he added.
“We note the outcome of the recent MPTS hearing.”
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