WLS Death Sunderland :-(

[Undecided]

Mum dies after weight-loss surgery - Local - Sunderland Echo

Just found this. Very sad. Did anyone know her ?

Comments from the surgeon seem a bit mean ? I wouldnt count some of these things as major health issues ?

 

[suepat10]

Terribly sad.

I can't help thinking that the Consultant Surgeon has shot himself in the foot when talking about her smoking, depression and binge drinking. If he feels these factors put her in a higher risk category, maybe they should have turned down her referral.

 

[Clare*]

That is so sad, the family must be deverstated. I totally agree with you sue xx

 

[Undecided]

If things like the drinking didn't cause the problem, it shouldn't have been mentioned.

 

[DietingDeb]

I was told before my operation that there was a 1 in 200 chance that it would kill me and it was still a chance I took and would take again.

His comments are not nice but to be 'blamed' is rather unfair as well - how many lives has this surgeon saved by performing these operations ? When you are dealing with people as obese as us and lets face it we are not talking a few lb's here there is always going to be a chance that things will go wrong.

I am sorry for her and her family but drink, fags and obesity, a body can only stand so much before it shuts down - I was scared to god before me operation that I was going to have a heart attack due to my weight.

My thoughts go out to all people concerned but I certainly would not establish blame anywhere in this case

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

I was told before my operation that there was a 1 in 200 chance that it would kill me and it was still a chance I took and would take again.

same here and i did. ive had 3 wlsurgeries & people that know me know why that is

His comments are not nice but to be 'blamed' is rather unfair as well - how many lives has this surgeon saved by performing these operations ?
this is very true but people only see the negitivity when a story like this goes public, they dont see the positive side of all the success stories just the 1 negitive one, the lady in question from what i percieve didnt follow the bypass rules or take her prescribed meds things arnt as simple as a short newspaper artical make things out to be ........ the surgeon concerned is a very good surgeon and the bypass was perfomed correctly.... after wards the bypass rules must be follwed correctly and that is down to the patient themselves.
When you are dealing with people as obese as us and lets face it we are not talking a few lb's here there is always going to be a chance that things will go wrong.

there is that chances of things going wrong deaths 1 in 300, we are all told this before agreeing to go for a bypass, we are also told what the long term rules are to follow, it is then down to the individual patient to follow the rules, i thank you for this post as things arnt as how things are made to seem in the press.

I am sorry for her and her family but drink, fags and obesity, a body can only stand so much before it shuts down - I was scared to god before me operation that I was going to have a heart attack due to my weight.

My thoughts go out to all people concerned but I certainly would not establish blame anywhere in this case

a very good post thankyou, its good everyone in life isnt ready to shoot ppl down in flames thats there to help them thanks again.

Liz x

 

[DietingDeb]

If things like the drinking didn't cause the problem, it shouldn't have been mentioned.

But drinking does cause a problem and is a massive concern especially binge drinking which is so much worse that people who drink everyday, the damage that drinking does to the internal organs before it is even realised is massive - it is exactly the same situation with smoking and to be honest she must have lied at her referal as the doctors are sooooo strict on the guide lines that we have to follow pre and post operation.

The surgeon knows if you have been lying, if you have been drinking pre-op or not stuck to your pre-op diet the liver is too large and they simply refuse to do the operation !!!

With the waiting list for this operation being so massive I can't see any surgeon risking their medical licence for someone who is not prepared to stick to the guide lines pre op.

I am not saying what this woman did is right or wrong but lets face it we would lie through our teeth to get this operation, she was obviously desperate - perhaps more than her family realised.

If this was me my family would also say 'yes she was happy with her weight when she was massive' was I really ? hell no !!! I lied to my family I didn't want them knowing how unhappy I was - I hate my nearest and dearest knowing things like this about me especially with my weight and I imagine most people out there are like that.

How did they find out about the booze and fags then ? Post mortem of course everything we do through our lives is shown in that final medical exam.

 

[Grace]

I met this poor lady the night before my surgery as she was in hospital with problems and complications. I thought I remembered her and now I've seen the photo, yes, it most definitely was her.

I remember her as being quite poorly, i remember she told me she'd caught MRSA after surgery, yet that isn't mentioned.
I only met her for one evening (she'd been moved to a different ward by the time I came back from theatre).

I remember suspecting she had some personal problems...but...well, don't we all?

I also remember that she told me she was glad she'd had the surgery. She tried to encourage me as I was immediately pre-op and was very kind to me.

It's very very sad, tragic in fact, but the fact is, it happens, we know that, and it's a risk we take.

Speaking as someone who has had post-op complications at the same hospital, I can say that the surgeons do care, work very hard and do their utmost to look after people, especially in the unlikely event of complications.

I'm very grateful for their care, and for my new lease of life. I took a risk and for me it paid off. Tragically, for her, it didn't.

 

[yorkiegal]

I'm the same age as this lady and I've been told I'm a high risk patient. That didn't really sink in until I was at my support group meeting this week and other people said they'd been told they were medium risk. No doubt it's due to the smoking and I can only hope that giving up a few weeks before the op has helped a little.

I'm not scared about dying on the operating table because I'll never know anything about it. I'm worried that complications might affect my ability to look after myself post op, but even the thought of that doesn't put me off having it in the slightest. All ops have risks. What's my alternative anyway? Getting bigger and bigger until I have a heart attack?

 

[wizzbang]

Poor girl, and her poor family. My heart goes out to them.
I think the doctor wasn't being critical of her, just trying to define what could have caused her death. She must have had a terrible year, filled with pain and confusion before she died.
Again, what a tragic loss for her family.
Lynne x

PS. she was a year younger than my own daughter.

 

[barbara18]

very sad story thoughts go to her children and family, but we all know the risks, we dont go into this lighthearted. and all those post-op know that drinking is an issue, i was told from the dietican that i would feel the effects straight away even with one glass of alcohol, now if this woman was a binge drinker she surely cant of told the hospital the true extent otherwise i believe the hospital would not of wanted to put her at risk they wouln't risk our health and the hospitals reputation, she was clearly desperate to the point were she kept the info of her drinking and smoking to her self. im not a smoker but i do know to have the best recovery from any operation they request that you cut down/pack in. unfortunatly in cases like this all the positive cases are thrown out the window, and we cling to the negativity. what we have been given is a tool and we need to look after it and work with it not abuse it. not wanting to offend anyone with my comments.

barbara x

 

[Undecided]

The family mentioned constant vomiting and stomach pain. "Sickness and stomach pains left her unable to eat, take vitamins or other medication". Surely this isn't normal ? Drinking or not drinking. From the research I've done it suggests there may have been a serious problem. I'm hoping it was at least properly investigated.

I've seen other discussions where life threatening situations were only just caught in time. And these are the main symptoms - constant vomiting and pain. The same as what her family described.

My point in referring to mentioning the drink etc is that (although I'm sure he's an excellent surgeon), things do obviously go wrong, and the official post mortem results say "bronchial pneumonia, with the secondary factor being nutritional compromise related to gastric bypass surgery". I dont think it's fair to "assume" that her drinking etc caused the problem. It's certainly not mentioned as a cause by the examiner. She may have had lots of personal problems, she may even have drank a lot. But alone this shouldn't have killed her. Depression (which seemed to get mentioned as another factor) certainly isn't a cause of death (unless by suicide).

I just think that it was a little unfair to list a whole set of things that wouldn't have been relevent. We know her depression didnt kill her.

 

[barbara18]

you are right undecided, but there are risks and we are told them, the lady clearly wanted the operation very badly, but i do disagree with you about the alcohol how can the tummy heal if she was a heavy drinker even if it wasnt that that killed her, so it would make it worse for her to of kept the foods and meds down. and her depression was mentioned as it is a factor, her depression was a factor before the op as most wls patients ate when they were depressed and this lady knowing she couldnt eat much of anything if not anything at all drank alcohol. these do have to be taken into consideration. like all of us this lady will of weighed up the pros and cons of the operation and she felt she had to go ahead with it. we all do research, look at before and after pics and she clearly felt this was her only option, when i had my operation i myself was focused on the negatives like what if i die and leave my son behind?? but i felt the hospital has treated me like an individual and put what is best for me first, the hospital dont go into this and offer it to everyone they too look at the risks and surely wouldnt risk the ladys health if they were told all of her back ground.

barbara x

 

[Grace]

The family mentioned constant vomiting and stomach pain. "Sickness and stomach pains left her unable to eat, take vitamins or other medication". Surely this isn't normal ? Drinking or not drinking. From the research I've done it suggests there may have been a serious problem. I'm hoping it was at least properly investigated.

I've seen other discussions where life threatening situations were only just caught in time. And these are the main symptoms - constant vomiting and pain. The same as what her family described.

My point in referring to mentioning the drink etc is that (although I'm sure he's an excellent surgeon), things do obviously go wrong, and the official post mortem results say "bronchial pneumonia, with the secondary factor being nutritional compromise related to gastric bypass surgery". I dont think it's fair to "assume" that her drinking etc caused the problem. It's certainly not mentioned as a cause by the examiner. She may have had lots of personal problems, she may even have drank a lot. But alone this shouldn't have killed her. Depression (which seemed to get mentioned as another factor) certainly isn't a cause of death (unless by suicide).

I just think that it was a little unfair to list a whole set of things that wouldn't have been relevent. We know her depression didnt kill her.

Having met her (albeit briefly) I know that the hospital did investigate. I can also say, from my own experience, that when complications arise, Sunderland leave no stone unturned in their efforts to suss out what's going wrong and to fix it. My surgeon even gave me his personal e-mail address to get in touch with him if I was having problems.

I'm not going to say anything more about this particular lady as I know there is a potential that her family could look to see what's being written on the forum...they did post last year after she died. We need to be wise and compassionate about this.

BUT drinking effects food absorption...and it effects the health of the stomach too...how much more would it affect a tiny pouch? I used to be married to an alcoholic and I know he would happily choose drink over food any time. He had loads of health issues, both mental and physical.

I'm personally trying to give up alcohol completely, because I'm so concerned about the effects it can have on my health.

 

[carolineshusband]

Mum dies after weight-loss surgery - Local - Sunderland Echo

Just found this. Very sad. Did anyone know her ?

Comments from the surgeon seem a bit mean ? I wouldnt count some of these things as major health issues ?

i was carolines husband ..david she never had a drink or smoke in over a year and a half it was a disaster operation from start to finish they had to go back in to repair a mistake balapuri made she lost 11 stone in a few months couldnt eat a nurishing meal even small amounts made her throw up with blood the coroner was a white wash we couldnt sue cause we didnt have 100 grand and get this the same balapuri who did her operation and the repair wanted todo the autopsy also but our family put a stop to that and brought in someone else and yes it was true she had MRSA we have reams of paperwork that i dont have access to atm i was at the coroners thing and it just seemed like we were getting buried in paperwork