DEATH DURING AN OPERA- TION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12351, 13 May 1902, Page 3 (Supplement)

DEATH DURING AN OPERATION.

Alt ho Hospital on April 04 nll ;,, q11( ,, t was held in connection with (Ik. death of Euphemu Korr, aged G8 years, who had died 011 lucsday morning in (he institution na'l '" l opcvatio " for "" aWomi-

TO \ ii 1 r ° lll,ni ' F Ome, > ' lrcsi< H <">* Mr v>. D. Hanlon was chosen foreman of the jury Join, Kevr, engine-driver, residing in jK been admitted to the Hospital on Sunday last Ho was not aware of the nature of her Lei,. uer death.

»'B tenia tumour. He knew tint attoper" ion was to b! performed, and neither lie nor the deceased hud objrcM. Dr Pulton and Dr do Uutour had advised the deceased to r 0 to ho Hospital when they w«e called in to «ee n. Sn r? .'TI f ' r " l tnk(,n i!I on A Pril et, £■ V - honorary sursreon to +hi> Bunodn, Hospital, at »t«l thatL h»aV»l,2 n ously ill. Ho had made an culmination, and found she wns suffering from an enormous ablommal tumour. This was causing difficulty n breaUiiGA She was an old woman, and her heart w« s affected. Her case was an unlayonrable one for operation. His first intention had been to delay the operation till Wednesday to prepare the patient, but after thinking it over he concludfcHhat it would be unsafe, and had called ajppmun the afternoon and rc-esamined iit f IT". s,,rgeon ,ln<] bcc » P««nt. and they had both considered it would be unsafe to lcavo her till Wednesday; and the operation was arranged for next morning. Hβ liittt considered tho case too ditngcrous for an ordinary antcstlietic, as tho enormous bulk of UlO tumour ban interfered with resniration: MA morpmg they had injected cucainc under Olo.Jiltin.with the object of rendering the, lines of incHion free from pain. He had thought it possible that the rta might, ],rive been completed without an anesthetic, but difficulty had arisen (luring the operation, and he thought that the tumour could l>? tapped, the pressure relieve and an anesthetic administered with more salety. The abdomen ms opened, and he tumour found to be very extensively adherent, requiring n very severe operation for is removal. It had been tapped, and when its bulk was reduced « mnnil quantity of ether was iKlmnmitcrfd, flit; incision enlarged, and the tumour removed. It lind been an cxiromMv difficult and complicated operation, in conseqnciice ol the growth of the tumour to the surrounding parts. The patient had seemed to stand tlie operation remarkably well, but while a Pinall vessel was beiiiß secured she had suddenly collapsed, and died without any warning, Tho cause of death was entirely due to shock ind failure ot the heart consequent upon tho operation.

A Juryman: Could yon have delayed tho operation and prepared tlie patient? Witness: No; it was the urgency of the case that necessitated tho operation on Tuesday morning.

JJr Brown, house surgeon, said lie anil Dr Batchclor had consulted, and thought it was a. risky case in which to administer an anesthetic, on account of the difficulty in breathing caused by the pressure of the tumour. He concurred with the evidence of the previous witness. On Monday and on Tuesday morning stimulants had been administered with a view to preparing (lie deceased lor the operation. After tlio tumour had been tapped Hie patient hud been relieved considerably, and ho had administered ether in order to enable the completion of the operation. She had taken the ether well sit first, but towards the close of the operation he thought her pulso hardly so good, and hn'd injected more stimulants, liut jnsl Mote the operation was concluded she had suddenly collapsed nnd died. When he had (irst noticed the jinlse failing he had slopped the. elher altogether. She was not deeply under the influrnce of the unieatbotic nt tho moment of death. Shock from the operation hud been the caU3e of death. He had nothing to do with the operation; his duty T.-BS to watch the patient and tho effects of tho r.iiiMtlielif. The operation roouirod shout an hour and n-quarter altogether." Dr Sale had been assisting Dr Btlclii'lor. Tho Jury found a verdict to tho effect that death was caused by phoek and failnro of the heart's action as n result of a very serious , burjTiil operation.