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"Surgery gone wrong"

About: Maroondah Hospital

(as the patient),

Mid August 2025 was when I went in to have my flat foot made into a proper foot again to have an arch, so that way I could run around half to the grandkids again. 

Week two comes along they take the dressings off and I look at my foot and look at my spouse and I’m not liking what I see. I think it’s infected but the doctor says it’s not and to come back next week. Okey-dokey we’ll do that.

Next week comes along back to the Hospital we go yes  it is infected. We need to admit you. IV antibiotics and then when I left hospital I was given antibiotics to take orally all good come back see you next week that continued to the to the end of the seventh week where they realise they just weren’t killing the bug.

So they handed me over to plastics that was orthopaedics they put in bolts and staples and everything to give me a new arch and then because it didn’t heal because it had the bug in it they handed me over to plastics so then plastics gave me what they call a debridement which is where they go in and they clean out the wound and the first time they ever cleaned it out it was the bug was right down to the metal.

Three of these operations later and then had an operation where they took a big part of my thigh out and put it into my foot nerves and things like that and blood vessels etc. So that was good except it never healed over the top. a few months later they then used the BTN that was in January and when they took the stitches out of that it literally split apart as they were taking out the stitches but they had to take out the stitches and it has not healed any more since then and then they brought me back into hospital for the skin graft and they did seven debridements and that was to kill the super bug.

Then they had 3 to kill microorganisms and then they took me in to do the skin graft and very recently I had the nurses come to my house and everything was great. A few days later I went to plastics and when they unwrap it it smelt so they took swabs and everything never heard from them during the week everything‘s been good they did. Sorry they did take swap over the dressing to a different screen type of dressing. The smell went away although today when the nurse was back the smell was back.

I see plastics again soon so let’s see what happens with that but smelling is not a good sign but it’s now been eight months and it’s still not healed and it doesn’t seem like anyone I've seen at Maroondah Hospital has any idea of what they’re doing either.

Just an update on what has been happening with my foot. I put in a complaint and apparently the dr who did the surgery without consent has been spoken too. But I believe they are quite high up and I don’t think that is enough, considering I am left with craters in my Frankenstein foot. I have been told no more operations are booked for me. 

I am just gutted. I saw the original wound today and I started to cry. It was so small. Now it is half my foot and disgusting it also can’t be left without being covered at the moment and it is quite expensive for the items I have to use. The nurses help where they can they are angels but plastics have changed me to fortnightly visits and are just monitoring the wound. Which is starting to get slough all over it, which isn’t good and apparently the skin graft has failed. But plastics haven’t said that. I think maybe I should go to box hill plastics. Someone has to know how to fix this foot. 

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Responses

Response from Care Opinion Australia 2 weeks ago
Submitted on 27/05/2026 at 9:47 AM
Published on Care Opinion Australia at 10:04 AM


This response has been published by Care Opinion Australia on behalf of Eastern Health.

Hello

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I can see that you have endured a complex range of medical difficulties, and I am very sorry your experience and the outcomes of your surgery haven’t been positive.

As you have mentioned in your story, you have made a complaint directly to Eastern Health and I understand there have been a number of conversations between you and your treating team. It sounds like you have continuing questions regarding your ongoing care. Your treating team and the Eastern Health Centre for Patient Experience Team will continue to work with you on resolution of your feedback and to clarify the plan for your ongoing care. The Centre for Patient Experience can be contacted via feedback@easternhealth.org.au or by calling 03 8804 0465.

I have shared your story with the Plastics and Surgery teams so they can understand your experience further.

Kind regards,

Manager Patient Feedback

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