Hospital facing malpractice suit after woman’s death

Police are investigating a case concerning alleged medical malpractice at the Limassol hospital following the death on Tuesday of a 35-year-old woman who had presented complications after a gastrectomy procedure.

The case was reported to the police by the deceased woman’s family. The 35-year-old was a mother of two and was living in Paphos.

According to former state pathologist, she died from multiple organ failure due to sepsis. The 35-year-old had a laparoscopic gastrectomy to remove part of her stomach at the Limassol hospital earlier in the month, but was re-admitted for surgery last week for complications following intestinal obstruction.

“When the anaesthesia procedure begun during the second surgery, she had pulmonary aspiration – inhalation of gastric contents – and she didn’t wake up after the surgery. She was on a mechanical ventilator since.” He added both surgeries were successful and that this was an anaesthetic death, caused from conditions related to anaesthesia.

Matsakis said that the sepsis was caused from the inhalation of gastric contents during the anaesthesia procedure in the second surgery.

“What needs to be investigated is whether the pulmonary aspiration could have been prevented, and what measures had been taken to prevent this from happening,” he said.

Police spokesman Andreas Angelides said that they will request that the health ministry appoint a medical official to assist in the investigation work. Police have already taken a number of depositions, he said.

Thanks to Cyprus Mail Online