Hospital of horrors: Jade Olexienko’s painful life after Caboolture Hospital surgery

A Queensland mother claims her life completely changed after undergoing surgery at Caboolture Hospital left her in constant pain doctors believed was ‘all in her head’.

A mother says she’s been battling daily pain for years after undergoing surgery at Caboolture Hospital that’s impacted how much she can work and what clothes she can wear.

Jade Olexienko underwent surgery in 2014 to remove a hernia which doctors claimed was the size of a 50c piece, despite having previously acknowledged it was larger.

She said she “begged” for doctors to make a vertical incision as opposed to horizontal because she had a good understanding of scar tissue after being a nurse for eight years.

But when the doctors were operating, the mother said they realised her stomach muscles were so severely torn from her two labours that they inserted mesh to effectively keep her organs in place.

Caboolture Hospital patient Jade Olexienko. Picture: Richard Walker

She said while she was aware mesh may be inserted, she had asked that no metal be used because she reacted badly – however recent X-rays have revealed her abdomen is “riddled with staples”.

The mother said doctors had also made a horizontal incision which has caused scar tissue, and she is still unsure as to whether the mesh used was one of the same products that have been recalled.

The 36-year-old said the traumatic ordeal had left her with a protruding stomach and in severe pain but that several doctors told her it was all in her head.

“The last resort was basically they put me on antidepressants, but it’s an antidepressant that stops my body reacting to nerve pain because I was getting head to toe nerve pain as well – chronic fatigue, nausea, vomiting, but the pain was just – I was bedridden, and I couldn’t do anything,” she said.

“This has been in the last 12 months – the last three years it’s been getting worse and worse.”

Ms Olexienko’s alarming story comes after The Courier-Mail revealed horror allegations that patients were dying and being left maimed as a result of botched surgeries at Caboolture Hospital which prompted an inquiry.

The inquiry recently found no evidence surgeons were operating outside their training but was unable to make an assessment on whether the services offered in its surgical and intensive care units were adequate because of poor record keeping.

The inquiry was unable to find evidence of surgeons operating outside of their training. Picture Peter Wallis

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli claimed Ms Olexienko had been “let down by a health system in crisis”.

“The state government’s rushed Caboolture Hospital review was a dud report,” he said.

“Nobody was held accountable, victim statements weren’t included in the report and now we learn patients like Jade weren’t even listened too.”

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli. Picture: Matthew Forrest

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath would not comment on Ms Olexienko’s experience.

“The review makes it very clear that any past or current patient of Caboolture Hospital, regardless of time frame, can register a complaint and this will be followed up,” she said.

A Metro North Health spokeswoman said it could not comment due to privacy and confidentiality.

“Metro North Health takes all feedback seriously and encourages feedback through its regular channels, as well as its dedicated hotline in relation to the surgical services review,” she said.

At times emotional, Ms Olexienko said she was told during her recovery appointments at the hospital and with her GP that the pain would go away but never did.

Her distended stomach now has an “outline” of the mesh, making it hard to wear certain clothes.

The mother said she rang the hotline that was recently established following the allegations at Caboolture Hospital, and her medical records were sent to her GP, but she was never offered a meeting.

Ms Olexienko’s stomach is putting limitations on her life. Picture: Richard Walker

“I can’t even work full time now, I can barely work 10 hours a week, how am I supposed to keep providing for my family?” she said.

Ms Olexienko said she engaged a lawyer too late, and that physically nothing can be done.

“Ideally, I would like compensation … because I’m not going to be able to work properly forever, I’ve now got to buy medication forever, and realistically I know that that may not be an option, but at the bare minimum, I’d like even something cosmetically to be done because I can’t even wear normal clothes,” she said.