DEATH DURING OPERATION

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11767, 14 October 1932, Page 3

DEATH DURING OPERATION

VERY RARE SURGICAL CASE

FIRST AT FAMOUS HOSPITAL,

How a dying woman underwent an operation which had one chance in a hundred of saving her life was described at an inquest Hold on August 25 at the City of London Coroner’s Court. The operation was the first of its kind to bp performed at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. It was unsuccessful, the patient, Mrs Florence Rebecca Kelly, aged 49, collapsing ami dying. It was stated that Mrs. Kelly fell downstairs, breaking her leg. She 'was taken to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, where several operations were performed. It was eventually diagnosed that she had a pulmonary embolism—a clot of blood in the pulmonary artery. Sbe died during the operation for the removal of the embolism. Hr. Henry P. .Nelson, a New Zealander, assistant-surgeon at the hospital, stated that tjio operation for tbo removal of a pulmonary embolism had never been ,done before at the hospital. It was only performed when a patient was moribund. It had to be performed in Jess than a minute to be successful. The clot had to be removed and the artery quickly sewn up for the heart fo go on beating. Dr. Nelson described how he exposed flic skin of the heart, which was •still beating. The next step was to pass a special india-rubber lube to tho back of the heart t'o the pulmonary artery. Then the heart stopped beating. He incised the artery, hut failed to withdraw the clot. Several measures were taken to restore animation, including heart massage, but they failed. It was realised that the woman was dying, but tbo operation gave her a one per cent, chance of life. Ur. "William Ball, wlm gave the anaesthetic, said that it was a comparatively new operation. An embolism was likely to arise in anyone wlio il|ad nndergono an operation—tjic percentage was about one in a, thousand. The Coroner: All classes of patients who have hud an operation are subject to this unfortunate occurrence.'' Witness; Yes. Dr. Arthur Wcsterinan, wlm performed file post-mortem examination, said tjiat ho found two clots. Had they not been so largo the operation would have been successful. Death was due to heart failure and shock, the consequence of the pulmonary embolism. Recording a verdict ol death by misadventure, the coroner said; ••'This is one of the catastrophes which surgeons have to contend with. The percentage of which eases being one in a thousand. the surgeon lias a sense of security, thinking that the trouble may never arise. The embolism is a bugbear which does not occur in all patients. •‘The operation was a necessary one, and everything was done for the patient by the surgeon. Tie is disappointed tjiat- he is not 'sueeessiul, and 1 wish him success in any case he may have in the future.'’