THE husband of a Burton woman who died after brain surgery has claimed her life may have been saved if a hospital had fully investigated a similar earlier case.
Paul Stevenson, of Newfield Road, Winshill, hit out during an inquest into the death of his wife, Janice, of multiple organ complications after restricted blood flow to her liver following spinal surgery at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC).
The 36-year-old mother-of-one’s death, on November 10, 2006, triggered a probe by Nottingham University Hospitals Trust and Nottinghamshire Police, which involved closing an operating theatre for two-and-a-half months, cancelling neurosurgical operations and trawling through other cases worldwide for similarities.
This uncovered the death of 16-year-old Charles Long, who died in November 2000 after undergoing similar spinal surgery at the QMC.
No inquest or full inquiry was held into his death as it was believed numerous factors contributed, particularly clotting blood.
Trust medical director Dr Stephen Fowlie said: “The QMC did investigate Charlie Long’s death in 2000, but the focus was on the severely abnormal blood clotting.”
However, when Mr Long’s case was reviewed after 2006, it was found he too had abnormal liver tests which may have caused the clotting — a discovery which upset Mr Stevenson.
His solicitor, Paul Balen, said: “It’s really disappointing there was no proper inquiry into Charles Long’s death.
“Everyone will feel lessons could have been learned that could have avoided the later incidents and Janice’s death.”
Mrs Stevenson had undergone a similar operation two years earlier but returned for further surgery after pain in her arm and neck returned.
She and Mr Long had suffered low blood pressure while being operated on by Dr Barrie White and, unusually, Mrs Stevenson was held secure by lying prone on horsehair bolsters — a firmer form of cushioned supports used to hold patients precisely.
These have not been used in Nottingham since her death and her husband now wants them banned from use in all hospitals.
Dr Fowlie said the joint investigation sparked speculation that the prone position and bolster may have affected blood flow, but Dr White said he was unconvinced the bolster was to blame.
Explaining patients could still be at risk, he said: “We are not safe from this. This is something that’s still going on.”
The police and trust ruled out foul play or the use of incorrect and tampered drugs or faulty equipment.
Recording a narrative verdict into both deaths, coroner Dr Nigel Chapman said: “They needed surgery and during that surgery Janice and Charles had low blood pressure and this was then compounded by the prone position and the bolster used in theatre.”
