Shania Chapman speaks out after surgery at Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital

A Queensland woman has shared her horror surgical experience after what she understood was a simple procedure at a private hospital turned into an ongoing health battle.

Shania Chapman has been through a tough two years.

A Sunshine Coast woman has shared her horror surgical experience after what she understood was a simple procedure at a private hospital turned into an ongoing health battle.

Shania Chapman was 23 when she first underwent abdominal surgery in early 2022.

“I went to the Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital for just an abdominal hernia repair. When I have woken from that surgery I have discovered myself, no one had told me anything, that (the surgeon) had removed my belly button,” Ms Chapman said.

Ms Chapman said she then noticed a lump on the incision after she had returned home.

Ms Chapman said that because the surgeon was unavailable, an alternative doctor was asked to have a look.

Shania Chapman’s world was flipped upside down.

She said she was disappointed with the level of care from the hospital.

“She met me at the hospital, cut the wound open in the emergency room and that is where it went downhill.”

According to Ms Chapman pieces of foam had become stuck in the wound, with the doctor initially attempting to pull them out before she demanded she be taken into surgery due to the pain.

The now 25-year-old said she then spent two months in and out of hospital with sepsis and a staph infection, but when she went to obtain her medical files from the hospital none of the infections and complications had been recorded.

“The nurses were constantly saying how disgusted they were and apologising, saying they had never seen anything like it,” Ms Chapman said.

“Two years later I have had to have surgeries to fix it, which I have had to pay for, I can’t work and I have chronic pain.”

Ms Chapman, originally from Mackay, has undergone about 10 more abdominal operations to address the ongoing pain from the first.

Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital.

Ms Chapman said ultimately she was disappointed with the level of care provided by SCUPH.

“When you are paying out-of-pocket costs you just expect it to be top-tier care,” Ms Chapman said.

A SCUPH spokeswoman said the hospital was currently investigating the issues raised by Ms Chapman.

“After being made aware of Ms Chapman’s concerns on Friday, Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital is conducting a robust investigation to confirm that the care provided in our hospital was to the appropriate standard and to address the concerns raised by Ms Chapman,” she said.

“We encourage all patients to contact the hospital if they have concerns with their care and we will be reaching out to Ms Chapman to invite her to meet with our executive team should she wish to do so.

“We have a robust complaints management process along with a framework to ensure compliance with our legislative requirements in respect of patient medical records.”

Originally published as Shania Chapman speaks out after surgery at Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital