Jasmine’s story: Hospital dislodged patient’s cochlear implant during MRI scan

A woman who suffered severe complications after a routine MRI scan caused her cochlear implant to be dislodged has settled her medical negligence claim against the hospital responsible for the error.

Timeline of events

Jasmine had severe hearing loss in both ears and was fitted with a cochlear implant in 2018 to help improve her hearing. Later that year, she went for an MRI scan to investigate an old wrist injury. 

Before the scan, Jasmine’s husband made sure the hospital had all the necessary information about her cochlear implant. However, the hospital failed to follow the correct safety procedures for conducting an MRI on someone with one of the devices fitted. 

Jasmine was not properly prepared for the scan and when the MRI machine was turned on, she immediately felt pain and dizziness. 

After the MRI, Jasmine noticed a bump on her head and later that day the pain worsened. She went to the A&E department, where doctors confirmed the magnet in her cochlear implant had been displaced due to the scan. 

In the days that followed, Jasmine had to undergo further surgery to replace the dislodged implant magnet. Unfortunately, she continued to experience significant problems after the procedure, including severe tinnitus, headaches, skin irritation and balance issues. 

How we helped Jasmine’s case

After Jasmine’s implant was damaged, she came to us with concerns about the care she had received. We investigated the situation and discovered the hospital had failed to follow proper procedures for performing an MRI scan on a patient with a cochlear implant. The failure to prepare Jasmine correctly for the scan and to obtain her informed consent led to the damage of her implant. 

We prepared a detailed schedule of loss in line with the expert evidence and quantified the case. An out-of-court settlement was secured. 

A note from Natalizia Capizzi

“This was a clear case of medical negligence, where the hospital failed to follow crucial protocols. Unfortunately, Jasmine’s implant was damaged because of this and she has since struggled with serious health issues.”