Managing medical complications in a US hospital
A patient required emergency gallbladder surgery in the United States, which is considered a standard procedure. A few days later, the patient unfortunately developed a significant complication that could only be managed with specialised and complex additional surgery.
Healix arranged for the patient to return to her home country of the UK via air ambulance so the surgery could take place near her home and family. This move also ensured that the team operating on her would be able to manage her care in the long term.
Challenge
A patient visiting Tallahassee, Florida developed acute abdominal pain and was admitted to a local hospital after visiting the emergency room. She was diagnosed with acute inflammation of the gallbladder and subsequently underwent an emergency cholecystectomy.
A few days into her recovery, the patient’s condition worsened; it became apparent that she had a leak from a bile duct injury. While this could be managed temporarily with a drain, she required surgery to repair the injured bile duct—a highly specialised and complex procedure. Furthermore, once the corrective surgery was complete, the patient would need long term follow up care with the possibility of additional surgical procedures in the future.
Approach
Upon notification of this case, the Healix medical team liaised closely with the treating surgical team in Florida and obtained all relevant medical notes and scans. The case was discussed with a specialised hepatobiliary surgical unit in the UK near the patient’s home. The unit agreed to take over the patient’s case, so long as she could be transferred safely.
In collaboration with the surgical team in Florida, Healix arranged for an air ambulance transfer to the UK using one of our providers based in the United States. The patient was accompanied by a doctor and nurse at all times and travelled with a complete copy of her notes and imaging results. Ground ambulance transfers were coordinated to meet the aircraft at both ends of the journey. Admission to the UK hospital was arranged in advance; the entire transfer was seamless.
Outcome
Bile duct injuries are complex to manage and often have long-term implications. Although the injury occurred in the United States, it made sense for the remedial surgery to take place in the UK near the patient’s home. This also meant she had support from her family and ensured that the team undertaking this complex surgery could continue to monitor and manage her condition for the long term.