O'Connor v The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

LORD JUSTICE JACKSON LORD JUSTICE McCOMBE and SIR COLIN RIMER ____________________

Mr Nigel Poole QC (instructed by MPH Solicitors) for the Claimant/Respondent Mr Charles Feeny (instructed by Weightmans LLP) for the Defendant/Appellant Hearing date: Tuesday 10th November 2015 ____________________

� Vesicovaginal Fistula ("VVF") is an abnormal epithelial lined tract that connects the bladder to the vagina. A patient who develops a VVF will suffer from incontinence of urine into the vagina.

� A Turner-Warwick abdominal ring retractor is a device used to retract the edges of the incision when operating on the abdomen or pelvis during urological surgery.� It is a metal ring with serrated teeth which is placed around the incision on the abdomen.� Blades are inserted to hold the edges of the incision open and hooked over the outside of the ring to pull open the wound into the abdominal cavity.�Both deep and shallow blades are available to the surgeon.

� The femoral nerve runs from the lower spine through the psoas muscle to the thigh. The femoral nerve controls some of the leg muscles and facilitates some of the sensation in the leg.