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A hospital trust admitted that more than 50 patients who had undergone a type of bowel surgery involving artificial and controversial artificial mesh implants should not have been operated on.
Dozens of women have suffered intense pain after pelvic floor surgery with the aid of a net at Bristol Southmead Hospital.
A Guardian investigation in 2017 revealed a national scandal surrounding meshing procedures, revealing that thousands of women had finally undergone surgery to remove the implants.
Last summer, the government ordered the suspension of the proceedings to avoid any risk of injury to women, due to increasing pressure from activists.
In the Southmead case, a surgeon, Anthony Dixon, was suspended in 2017 after concerns were voiced and an investigation was conducted into 143 cases.
Dixon, who also worked at Bristol's Spire Private Hospital, was the first to use artificial mesh to lift the prolific intestines – often caused by childbirth – using a technique called laparoscopic ventral rectopexy.
The North Bristol NHS Trust has now told 57 patients that they should have received alternative treatment first, after an investigation into their care.
The general medical council imposed penalties on Dixon, barring him from any surgery until November 2019.
73 other patients considered by the review were told that the operation they were receiving was appropriate, while 13 other patients were informed that the investigation on their case would be over in the as fast as we can.
After concerns were expressed about pelvic floor surgery, the trust initiated a review of the cases of women and men who experienced LVMR between 2007 and 2017.
Dr. Chris Burton, Medical Director of the North Bristol NHS Trust, said, "I want to apologize to all patients who have been operated on unnecessarily. This is unacceptable and we take it extremely seriously.
"We immediately took steps to prevent this from happening again and supported patients where they needed them. We will continue to investigate to ensure that we have identified the patients affected by these problems and to know what has happened in order to learn for future care. "
The law firm Irwin Mitchell, which represents 49 people in Southmead and Spire hospitals, appealed to the trust to reveal its findings.
Sallie Booth, a lawyer, said, "Today's announcement of trust in the NHS of North Bristol is extremely worrying and has, understandably, caused a lot of distress to our customers. Trust should now openly publish its findings to the patients concerned – rather than force them to discover the truth only through a stressful litigation process. "
Irwin Mitchell has already agreed with the trust on a contract providing for a compensation mechanism.
Booth added that his law firm's investigations suggested that stitching in this type of surgery could have "long-term negative consequences."
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