Retired firefighter, 78, died of multiple strokes after heart bypass operation at Blackpool Victoria Hospital

A retired firefighter died of multiple strokes following a coronary artery bypass operation at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

Philip Draycott, 78, of Halton, near Lancaster, had a history of heart problems as well as several other health conditions, including lung problems and kidney disease.

He had suffered a heart attack in February and consultant cardiothoracic surgeon Mr Antony Walker told an inquest at Blackpool Town Hall that Mr Draycott had only a one in six chance of being alive within six months without the procedure.

As the procedure came to a close, Mr Draycott’s blood pressure dropped and it was found blood clots had formed around the coronary bypass graft, restricting blood flow, the inquest was told.

They were cleared and Mr Draycott was taken into recovery in the cardiac care intensive care unit but suffered a post operative stroke.

Pathologist Dr Neil Papworth told the inquest that blood clots had formed on both sides of Mr Draycott’s brain, causing the strokes.

It was a direct result of a complication of the surgery contributed to by lack of blood flow to the heart following a thrombosis, but the inquest heard it was not possible to ascertain the origin of the blood clots, as they had been cleared around the area of the graft.

Another possibility, it was suggested during the hearing, was that the clots originated during the aortic clamping stage.

Mr Draycott was placed in palliative care and died on March 23.

Blackpool and Fylde senior coroner Alan Wilson recorded a narrative conclusion based on the circumstances of his death.