MRS WEBBER MD FRCSEd (Urol)
Consultant Urological Surgeon &
Expert Witness in Urological Cases
Having qualified from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand in 1987, Mrs Webber emigrated to the UK in 1989, where she undertook further training obtaining the FRCS(Urology) in 1998.
Mrs Webber
was appointed as a consultant urological surgeon at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride in 2000, and in 2005
Mrs Webber
moved to Fife and is now based at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. She also works in the NHS hospitals in Dunfermline and St Andrews.
Formerly
Clinical Lead for Urology for NHS Fife.
Mrs Webber added: " I have had a particular interest in medical education and training, and during my time at Hairmyres Hospital was Associate Director of Medical Education. Currently I am an examiner the FRCS(Urol) examination, leader of the oral question writing group for the FRCS(Urol) and an assessor for the MRCS examination. I am also a Regional Surgical Advisor for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
Having worked for a variety of medical publications in the past 20 years,
Mrs Webber
is able to draw on her expertise in medical journalism and editing in her present position as Deputy Editor of Surgeons News . She is a former editor of Urology News, former editor of SN Global , and a former member of the web editorial team for BJU International .
Throughout her career Robyn has taken an active part in the activities of the Royal Society of Medicine; currently being a Council Member for the RSM Section of Urology.
In acting as a Expert Witness for investigations Robyn is required to give her professional opinion on: All aspects of urological surgery, urological malignancy, delayed diagnosis of urological conditions, urinary incontinence, complications of TVT/TOT mesh surgery, clinical negligence, informed consent and personal injury including genito urinary tract injury, renal and pelvic trauma and erectile dysfunction .
In addition to writing in excess of 50 reports per year as an Expert Witness, Mrs Webber has experience of giving evidence in court in both Scotland and England.
CASE STUDY No.1: CAUDA EQUINA SYNDROME:
A 30 year old woman with a long history of back pain and “sciatica” attends her GP complaining of worsening of pain in her lower back and tingling in her buttocks. Her GP increases her analgesia prescription. Two days later she attends her local Accident and Emergency Department. Her pain has worsening, and she describes feeling numb over her buttocks and inner thighs, and has difficulty in passing urine. She also complains of constipation. Her constipation is attributed as a side effect of her analgesia, her medication is changed again, and she is discharged. She returns to hospital the following day, in retention of urine. She is catheterized, and has over a litre of urine in her bladder. Neurological examination reveals loss of sensation over the buttocks and inner thighs, and an emergency MRI scan of her spine is requested. This demonstrates a large central disc prolapse at L4/L5 and she undergoes an urgent decompression. Post operatively her residual symptoms include numb ‘patches' over her buttocks, and continuing difficulty with both urination and defecation. Her symptoms vary, at times she has difficulty in passing urine and may be constipated, on other days she experiences episodes of urinary and fecal incontinence. These symptoms do not improve. She becomes housebound, leading to a loss of her income, and her embarrassment and distress over her bladder and bowel symptoms contribute the breakdown of her long term relationship.
CASE STUDY NO.2: CONSEQUENCES OF A MALE PELVIC FRACTURE
A 25 year old man sustained a fractured pelvis following a fall from a motorcycle. He also sustained a partial rupture of his urethra, and has suffered from erectile dysfunction since the time of the accident. Erectile dysfunction occurs due to damage to the nerve and blood supply in the penis following the accident. Although he may have some spontaneous improvement, he is unlikely to regain full erectile function and will require treatment as long as he wishes to remain sexually active. His urethral trauma places him at risk of subsequently developing a urethral stricture. He developed such a stricture 18 months later, with symptoms of an increasingly poor urinary flow. He undergoes an optical urethrotomy (a procedure performed using a special ‘telescope' to divide the stricture). Within months the stricture recurs, and he elects to undergo a urethroplasty, a larger open operation, which is curative, but places him at risk of complications including urinary incontinence, which may be permanent in some patients.
In addition to having undertaken medico-legal work for the past 11 years, Mrs Webberhas also been a Clinical Advisor to both the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman, and an independent Clinical Advisor to the NHS .
" Please note that I can only undertake to write a report on the instruction of a solicitor or other competent body," Mrs Webber explained , " If you require a urologist expert report, and think I may be able to help you, please ask your solicitor to contact me."
