Woman, 90, 'gave a small groan' and died during surgery to replace pacemaker at Blackpool Victoria Hospital
Heart procedure carried out in bid to cure infection
A 90-year-old woman died during a procedure at Blackpool Victoria Hospital to remove and replace her heart pacemaker after she picked up an infection.
Former hotelier Dorothy Sharples, of Guildford Avenue, Blackpool, was admitted to the hospital after presenting at the emergency department saying she was feeling unwell.
She was admitted for investigation and the infection was diagnosed after her kidney function began to be affected.
The infection was found to be around her pacemaker fitted several years before and which was said to have been working well.
She was referred to the cardiology department where consultant Dr Christopher Cassidy advised that the best way to try and solve the problem was a procedure to remove and replace the pacemaker, an inquest at Blackpool Town Hall heard.
Dr Cassidy told the inquest that he had a conversation with Mrs Sharples about the risks of the procedure, particularly bearing in mind her age, and recalled her saying that she “didn’t fear death but just wanted to be better”.
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Consultant pathologist Dr Muhammad Aslam found her cause of death was hemopericardium - the accumulation of blood in the pericardial sac surrounding the heart.
Dr Aslam added that the post mortem had shown up a tiny hole in Mrs Sharples’ right heart ventricle which appeared to have been the source the bleeding and was consistent with something having happened during the pacemaker retrieval procedure.
The inquest was told Dr Cassidy was alerted to there possibly being a problem when a member of the nursing team in the operating theatre heard Mr Sharples give a small cry or groan.
Blood was summoned in a bid to solve the problem but Mrs Sharples went into cardiac arrest and died.
Blackpool and Fylde senior coroner Alan Wilson returned a conclusion of misadventure, based on the fact that Mrs Sharples was undergoing an intended procedure which had unintended consequences.
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“I feel this was a necessary procedure and Mrs Sharples probably would have died of the infection if she hadn’t had it,” said Mr Wilson.
“I think Mrs Sharples had the capacity to make the decision to go ahead with the procedure and there is no evidence of carelessness, with what happened a recognised complication.
“Fragile tissue could have made her more susceptible and once the perforation had happened, I think it was unsurvivable.”