Hip surgery review call after Shropshire pensioner dies
A coroner has ordered surgeons at Shropshire's two main hospitals to review the way they carry out hip operations – following the death of a pensioner after surgery that took twice as long as it should have.
Joan Durber spent four hours under the knife at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital after falling at home and breaking her hip.
But an inquest in Wellington yesterday heard the operation should have only taken two hours – and coroner Mr John Ellery ruled it "undoubtedly" played a part in the 77-year-old's death from bowel problems a few weeks later.
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Mr Ronald Dodenhoff said it was standard practice to pour "two mixes" of cement into the new joint.
But on this occasion surgeon Mr Omar Salah only put the equivalent of one mix in. Mr Dodenhoff told the inquest he had to intervene and effectively start the operation again.
Mr Salah, giving evidence, said: "I asked the scrub nurse for the standard amount and I didn't check how much was in the mix."
The inquest heard Mrs Durber, from Market Drayton, was deemed fit to be transferred to Whitchurch Community Hospital four days after the operation. But she was re-admitted to the Princess Royal on June 29 and taken by emergency transfer to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on June 30, where she spent 10 days in intensive care before dying on July 10.
Concluding the inquest, Mr Ellery recorded a narrative verdict which read: "Mrs Durber died from natural causes, in part contributed to by surgery following an accident."
Addressing the pensioner's family, he added: "This should have been a two-hour operation. It would have increased the amount of blood lost and had an impact on the amount of units needed for a transfusion afterwards. That must have been a significant contributory factor.
"But for the cement underestimation, Mrs Durber would not have had the stress and undoubtedly it played a part.
"I am told after this inquest there will be governance meetings. Clearly there is doubt as to what represents a standard measure of cement. I will be writing to the trust to ensure they are acting upon this."
Dr Edwin Borman, medical director at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said his deepest sympathies were with Mrs Durber's family.
He added: "Regrettably this is a rare but known complication of this procedure."
