DOCTORS could have saved a woman's life if they had operated sooner, an inquest heard.
Coroner Roger Whittaker recorded this in a narrative verdict at the hearing into the death of Shirley Vernon, 62, on November 30, 2005.
She died two weeks after surgery at Calderdale Royal Hospital.
Mr Whittaker said: "Had the first operation b
een undertaken earlier and specifically before November 4, Mrs Vernon would not have died at this time and of this cause."
The inquest at Halifax Town Hall heard Mrs Vernon, of Village Street, Norwood Green, was admitted to hospital on October 29 with acute abdominal pain and vomiting.
Despite her condition getting no better, doctors did not operate until 10 days later.
Narinder Sharma, a consultant at the hospital, told the hearing that for the first few days they were still exploring the reasons for her pain.
They included constipation, obstruction in the bowel and diverticulitis – inflammation of the colon.
Doctors eventually concluded Mrs Vernon was suffering from an obstruction in the bowel, caused by adhesions from previous surgery some years before, which had led to inflamation of the abdominal cavity.
Despite a discussion about doing surgery on November 4, it was not deemed vital until November 8 and even then it did not take place until the next day.
Professor Paul McMaster was called as an expert witness who specialised in abdominal surgery.
He said it was likely peritonitis, or inflammation, set in the abdominal area during the eight to 12 hours before the operation and said: "If the operation had taken place on November 8, it is likely there would have been no perforation in the abdominal cavity and, had there been no peritonitis in there, that would have reduced the risk of the operation."
During the first operation, doctors rejoined parts of the small bowel together but that broke down and led to the need for a second operation.
Coroner Roger Whittaker said: "Although technically successful, that operation failed to save her life."
Professor McMaster said in his view Mrs Vernon had died from multi-organ failure, due to septicemia, caused by the "failure of the first operation".
The full article contains 377 words and appears in Evening Courier newspaper.
