Nurul Iman Forced To Master Using Left Hand After Botched Carpal Tunnel Surgery
22-year-old Nurul Iman underwent a total of eight surgeries since 2017 but still has not regained all normal functions of her dominant hand.
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The High Court awarded RM1.1 million in damages to 22-year-old Nurul Iman Abu Mansor after holding both Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur and an orthopaedic surgeon liable for a botched surgery on her right hand.
Due to the botched surgery, Nurul Iman is now forced to undergo occupational therapy and learn to write with her left hand.
After going through eight operations since 2017, she still has not regained all normal functions in her right hand.
On Twitter, she shared she tried to be positive despite everything that had happened but money is nothing compared to what she has lost. She said she didn’t receive any apology from the other party.
Nurul Iman said she did not only go through physical trauma but “psychiatric injury.” She doesn’t feel much in her right hand even if she holds it in hot water.
She also shared pictures of the surgery scars she got from the ordeal. In one of the corrective surgeries, doctors had to operate her leg to take a nerve graft to reconnect the median nerve in her hand.
At the end of it all, she admitted that it wasn’t an easy journey but she was glad there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
Despite winning the suit, some felt the million-dollar fine was a small amount compared to what Nurul Iman suffered.
Nevertheless, they wished her well and hoped she’d have a smooth recovery process.
MYR 1.1 M is chump change for large hospitals
— Sir Shiba Ninja (@sirshibaninja) September 28, 2024
Wow.. RM1.1 million for the loss of an arm seems incredibly undervalued.
— Azam Roslan (@azamR_X) September 27, 2024
I can't imagine how that would even begin to capture the emotional suffering and permanent impact on someone’s life. Hope you'll find justice.
1.1m for losing your right hand usage since 17 is incredibly low.
— Mikeshashimi (@Mikeshashimi) September 27, 2024
As part of the law community, I totally understand. Indeed true, money cannot compensate for what you have lost and what God has given to you. I hope the best for you. Stay strong and always be positive 🙏
— WhoamI? (@Iamraffffffff) September 27, 2024
You put up a good fight and won against a giant corporation that is IHH. That's hard. The ones who did wrong will always pay for their sins one way or another. I hope it serves as a consolation to you. Praying for your peace and recovery sis 💕
— ᶜᵃˢˢⁱᵒᵖᵉⁱᵃˢᵗᵃʳˡᵃ (@ecoliere) September 27, 2024
I'm really sorry to hear that you're feeling this way. It's completely valid to feel hurt and frustrated, especially when you’ve experienced loss and haven’t received the acknowledgment or apology you deserve. Healing can take time, but focusing on your own well-being and seeking…
— Sana Khan (@SanaKhan146) September 27, 2024
Losing your dominant hand function is a very significant complication. I wish you all the best with your rehab journey. We continuously have new advances in technology in nerve repair and rehab, i hope you will get access to them. Dont stop reading on it and have faith!
— n. (@nadia_lah) September 28, 2024
Here’s a tentative timeline of what happened to her right hand
Before 2017 – Nurul Iman, then in her teens, reportedly suffered from pain and persistent numbness in her right hand and was diagnosed with right carpal tunnel syndrome.
She was advised by Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur’s Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon resident consultant, Datuk Seri Dr Zulkharnain Ismail, to undergo surgery to improve the function of her right hand.
January 2018 – At 17 years old, she underwent her first surgery but experienced more pain in her right hand than before. She continued feeling pain during the follow-up visits.
June 2018 – She underwent a second surgery and ended up with even more pain. She also lost feeling in three of her fingers and underwent weekly physiotherapy at Gleneagles.
She then sought treatment at Subang Jaya Medical Centre where the doctor diagnosed her with median nerve issues which affected her three fingers. She was recommended corrective surgery.
8 April 2019 – Dr Jamari Sapuan, a hand and microsurgeon at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Specialist Centre (UKMSC), carried out the corrective surgery. It was during this surgery that Dr Jamari discovered approximately 5cm of the patient’s median nerve had been resected (cut out).
16 April 2019 – Dr Jamari advised her to undergo corrective surgery. In this surgery, a left sural graft was used as cable to repair the median nerve.
March 2021 – Nurul Iman underwent another corrective surgery by the same surgeon.
Despite the corrective surgeries, Nurul Iman continued to experience pain and suffer from median nerve palsy. She couldn’t properly use her right hand to perform daily activities.
She claimed her median nerve had been resected during the surgery by Dr Zulkharnain and that he delayed providing necessary surgical and medical treatment to treat the complications.
Nurul Iman and her father also claimed that they were told it was a simple procedure and were not informed of the potential risks or complications. There was allegedly no mention of the risks in the consent form or medical records.
The court found that the median nerve had been negligently cut during the operation undertaken on 23 January 2018 and that there was a delay in identifying the cut injury and providing corrective treatment.
The medical evidence shown in court also showed the median nerve had been cut during the operation.
The full judgement can be read here.
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