Sunshine Coast mum almost killed by botched contraceptive operation

A YOUNG Australian mum is urging women to be more informed after she underwent a botched contraceptive procedure.

Shannon Hubbard chose to have the popular Mirena device fitted shortly after the birth of her first child, Harrison.

But the Sunshine Coast woman now regrets her choice, after the incorrectly-fitted device nearly killed her, and prevented her from having more children.

Mirena is the only hormone-releasing intra-uterine device (IUD) available in Australia, placed instead the uterus to prevent pregnancy.

The 25-year-old mother-of-three knew something was wrong when she started bleeding heavily.

“I became more and more conscious that I was bleeding heavily,” Ms Hubbard told Nine News.

“The GP told me I might get spotting but I was filling large pads within 40 minutes and had really large blood clots.”

Hubbard told Bundaberg News Mail she knew something was really wrong when she began filling a “maternity-sized pad” every half an hour.

“I went to emergency, and by the time they got me to a bed I had bled through the maternity pad, my pants, and the wheelchair seat was covered in blood.”

The doctors eventually decided to take the device out. But that wasn’t the worst of it.

When her device was removed, the bleeding only got worse. She was eventually rushed into emergency surgery, and doctors inserted a balloon catheter to help quell the bleeding.

That night, she woke up to another heavy flow of blood.

“It was pouring out of my body very fast,” she said.

“I had what they call hematogenic shock. I was getting really cold because I had lost so much blood.

“The doctors were trying to keep me awake by asking questions.

“It’s so scary how quickly you can go from sleeping to dying.”

After a second surgery, Hubbard was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit. She was pumped with more than 17 bags of blood, before being told she had to undergo yet another surgery.

Her partner, Corrie Gilbert, said he felt powerless as she went through each traumatic experience.

“When I got that call and was told I only had a few minutes to talk to her, I thought I was going to lose her,” Mr Gilbert told the Bundaberg News Mail.

“The doctors told me it was critical and that she’d be taken to ICU after the operation, and that hit me really hard.”

Thankfully the final operation was successful. But it came with another piece of awful news: she would no longer be able to have children.

“I still have my uterus but I’ve been advised it would be extremely high risk to have children,” she said.

“It’s very likely my uterus would rupture. I’m devastated and I don’t know how it’s going to affect me. I’m only 25, I had lots of years ahead of me and it’s been taken away. I can’t stop thinking now that this small decision almost cost me my life.”

Hubbard is urging women to be more informed about their bodies before having a Mirena implanted.

She said she’s not considering taking legal action, but “just wants to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else”.

After nine days in hospital, Hubbard was released from hospital and sent home to continue recovering.

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