Bladder Injury Claims: When Surgical Bladder Damage Is Negligence

The bladder is vulnerable to injury during pelvic and abdominal surgery — hysterectomy, caesarean section, bowel resection, and radical prostatectomy. Most bladder injuries during surgery are manageable when identified at the time; the greater danger is when the injury is not recognised, leading to urine leakage into the peritoneum, urinary fistula, peritonitis, and the need for complex surgical repair. Claims arise both from the primary injury (where it resulted from technique below the required standard) and from failure to identify and repair it promptly.

Common scenarios

• Bladder cut or perforated during caesarean section — particularly in women with previous CS and anterior adhesions
• Bladder injury during laparoscopic or open hysterectomy
• Bladder injury during bowel resection or colorectal surgery
• Vesico-vaginal fistula (bladder-to-vagina connection) from unrecognised bladder injury causing continuous urinary leakage
• Failure to perform cystoscopy at the end of pelvic surgery to check bladder integrity
• Delayed diagnosis of post-operative urine leak causing urinoma or peritonitis

Frequently asked questions