Teen (13) still lives in pain after nine operations

Ricardo Lochner, of Struisbult, was once an energetic 13-year-old but is now living in constant pain due to an operation that allegedly went horribly wrong.

His mother, Sonja Janse van Vuuren, says her son’s life changed at the end of August, last year, when he was admitted to the Far East Rand Hospital (FERH).

After X-rays were taken, a doctor allegedly informed her “it looked like a bug was eating her son from the inside”.

On August 30, she claims Ricardo’s appendix ruptured but instead of being sent to theatre right away, he was only operated on at 11.45am the following day.

“Three and a half hours later, a doctor told me, ‘Sorry, I have butchered your child a bit,’” she says.

The doctor allegedly explained he had to remove a piece of Ricardo’s intestine to remove all the bits of the ruptured appendix properly.

Two days later, Ricardo was discharged, but on September 3 he had to be rushed back to hospital as brown and yellow liquid was flowing from his wound.

Three days later, Ricardo was back in theatre where a small piece of his intestine was removed.

“The intestine apparently had a hole in it, but the doctor said he reconnected the intestine again after removing this second piece,” says Sonja.

On September 13, faeces was pouring from Ricardo’s wound and he was rushed to theatre for the third time.

Sonja says she was told the intestine had burst, and her son was in high care for two days after the operation.

A few days later, she received a call from a female doctor who asked her to visit the hospital urgently.

“Using a sketch, the doctor explained Ricardo had to have another surgery to have work done to his colon and intestine.

“This was just too much for me and I phoned my family who ordered me to take Ricardo to a private hospital,” she says.

On September 16, Ricardo was discharged from FERH by his mother and taken to a private hospital.

Sonja says he was taken to theatre immediately after his arrival so they could start on the repair work to his abdomen.

After a total of nine operations, Ricardo had to walk with a suction machine and two ostomy bags for a while,” she says.

An ostomy bag is used for the collection of waste from the colon.

He has to undergo another operation to put his colon, which is currently in a bag outside his body, back into his abdomen and reconnect it to his intestine.

“My life has changed dramatically,” Ricardo says.

According to him, this ordeal has influenced his school work and spending time with his friends.

“Sometimes I cannot go to school for two to three days at a time,” says Ricardo.

No comment was received from FERH at the time of publishing.

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