Woman sues doctor claiming injuries from natural birth will affect future pregnancies

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SINGAPORE: A woman is suing her obstetrician for negligence that allegedly led to her sustaining injuries during a natural delivery, which she claims will affect future pregnancies.

Ms Cherissa Cheng, 32, suffered a tear that led to her excreting faecal matter from her vagina for months, even after her doctor performed surgery to repair the wound.

She also purportedly developed post-partum depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, including difficulties bonding with her child.

Ms Cheng, who planned for three kids with her husband, claims her injuries will cause future pregnancy complications, and have already affected her enjoyment of children and quality of life.

Her physician, Dr Khoo Chong Kiat, is a senior obstetrician and gynaecologist practising at CK Khoo Clinic for Women & Laparoscopy under Royal Clinics of O&G.

In a trial that opened at the High Court on Tuesday (Feb 4), Ms Cheng alleges that Dr Khoo and Royal Clinics of O&G were medically negligent and committed battery against her.

Ms Cheng started attending consultations with Dr Khoo in September 2019. It was her first pregnancy.

At her first consultation, Ms Cheng purportedly told Dr Khoo that her mother experienced prolonged labour due to her cervix not dilating, and eventually received an emergency caesarean section.

According to her lawyers, Mr Cumara K and Ms Celestine Tolentino from Selvam LLC, she expressed concerns about natural delivery but Dr Khoo assured her she would be able to deliver naturally.

Ms Cheng went to the hospital to induce labour at midnight on May 2, 2020. She gave birth to her baby through natural delivery at about 10.35am on May 3, 2020.

She alleges that during her labour, Dr Khoo manually widened her cervix, applied pressure to her abdomen and made an incision to aid the birth. After the surgery, he performed surgery to repair a tear.

These actions amounted to battery, and she was not told about the risks or did not give informed consent to these aspects of the delivery, she claims.

According to Ms Cheng, an emergency C-section was required by 9.25am on May 3, 2020 and she consented to it, while Dr Khoo also ordered the surgery.

However, he subsequently "abandoned the emergency C-section that Ms Cheng wanted" and manually dilated her cervix from 4cm to 10cm so that the natural birth could continue, her lawyers argue.

Dr Khoo's lawyers Ms Kuah...

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