DEATH IN HOSPITAL

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 126, 25 February 1928, Page 7

DEATH IN HOSPITAL

CARDIAC FAILURE THE CAUSE OPERATION BY FAMOUS SURGEON BY TELEGBAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIAIION. Hamilton, February 21. An inquest was held to-day by Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., into the death of Rhoda Rawlings, married, aged 42, ol l‘e Kuiti, whose death occurred in the Waikato Hospital yesterday during an operation. The operator was Mr. Bonney, of London, and the operation was perlonned in the presence of about fifty doctors attending the B.M.A. conference at Hamilton.

Dr. Gower, the Waikato Hospital surgeon superintendent, gave evidence that he assisted at the operation, for which the time was extraordinarily short. The patient collapsed after an hour.

Dr. McMiken, who administered the anaesthetic, and was specially deputed ior the purpose, stated that the patient was very adipose in condition. Victor Bonney, the surgeon who operated, said that he was a London specialist and gyliaciological surgeon to large English hospitals. He was visiting New Zealand as representative of tlie B.M.A. at the New Zealand conference. The first indication that anything was wrong was the patient’s sudden collapse. This was reported by the anaesthetist, but witness did not think that she was then dead. The operation was discontinued and the heart massaged through the abdomen, and all steps known to medical science were taken without success. The operation was nearly finished when the collapse occurred. Fie attributed death to sudden cardiac failure, due to degenerate condition of the heart. The operation, said witness, was very difficult, and every safeguard known to modern surgery was taken. He had the assistance of Dr. Gower and a beautifully-trained theatre staff. He had never had an anaesthetic given for him better. Extra pains were taken to make the operation perfect, as the whole object was to make it an example of what it should be.

The post-mortem examination, it was stated, disclosed that death was due to cardiac failure and shock of the operation on a patient with a fatty heart. The Coroner returned a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony, saying that the circumstances were one of those regrettable cases which medical and surgical science was unable to prevent. Everything possible seemed to have been done, and it was gratifying that an expert of such high standing should speak so well of the local hospital appointments.