A woman who had a sterilisation procedure carried out at a Co Galway hospital died five days later from a perforated colon, an inquest into her death was told yesterday.
Ms Winifred Ward (42), a mother of five, of Curragh Park, Ballinasloe, died from "medical misadventure", the inquest jury found.
The inquest at Gort, Co Galway, returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence of pathologist Dr Michael Cassidy, who found that Ms Ward died from peritonitis due to a perforated sigmoid colon.
He said that adult respiration-distress syndrome, also known as "shock lung", was a contributory factor in her death.
Following yesterday's inquest, Mr Gearoid Geraghty, the solicitor representing the dead woman's husband, Bernard, and their five children, said a civil action would be taken on behalf of the family arising out of her stay in the hospital last January.
He said Mr Ward accepted that the medical personnel had his wife's best interests at heart at all times.
Returning a verdict of what he said could be described as "medical misadventure", the inquest jury foreman said the medical evidence before them indicated that everything possible had been done for the woman while she was a patient at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe.
The inquest heard that Ms Ward was admitted to the hospital as a daycare patient on January 5th for a lataroscopic clip sterilisation.
She had what was described as a "poor obstetric history" and had a Caesarean section in October 1999.
Dr Benjamin Ononese, who carried out the procedure, told the inquest that it was decided to carry out a mini-latarotomy operation after he found dense adhesions between the bowel and the uterus due to previous abdominal surgery.
When he checked Ms Ward after the operation he noted that her condition was good and her vital signs stable.
Her recovery remained satisfactory and she was discharged the following day.
Consultant obstetrician gynaecologist Dr Michael Brassil said he had been consulted by Dr Ononese and agreed with his decision to do a mini-latarotomy when the adhesions he encountered were precluding him from having a good view of the fallopian tubes.
He next met Ms Ward in the hospital the following day when she told him she was very keen to go home and had no specific complaints.
She was discharged after a very thorough examination by the senior house officer.
The following Monday he saw the patient, who was on a ventilator and very critically ill the day after further surgery. She died that evening.
Mr John Doyle, a consultant surgeon at the hospital, said he was asked to see Ms Ward on January 9th by the gynaecological team, who felt she was showing signs of peritonitis, an extensive inflammation of the abdominal cavity.
They proceeded to operate and after an extensive search he found a perforation in the lower part of the sigmoid colon which in his opinion was the source of the contamination of the abdominal cavity.
The coroner for East Galway, Dr Richard Joyce, reminded the jury that all medical procedures were attended by some risk and he recommended that they consider a verdict of death by misadventure.