"The family was informed that sutures placed during the initial operation closed off the bowel, leading to obstruction and perforation."
Incident
Joanne Downie, 60, underwent elective laparoscopic gastric bypass and gall bladder surgery on October 16, 2023, at a private hospital in regional Queensland. Postoperatively, she experienced severe pain and drowsiness, deteriorating over several days.
On October 21, the surgeon performed corrective surgery, then transferred her to a public hospital ICU. A third operation occurred, but she died the following day.
Cause of Death
The Queensland coroner determined the cause of death as rupture of the small bowel, peritonitis with sepsis, due to laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery and hiatus hernia repair. The family was informed that sutures placed during the initial operation closed off the bowel, leading to obstruction and perforation.
Legal Action
The family is pursuing a medical negligence claim against the surgeon and hospital, represented by Maurice Blackburn Lawyers.
The claim alleges:
- The surgery was not performed to an appropriate standard.
- Postoperative complications were not adequately addressed.
- The hospital lacked appropriate resources and facilities for the procedure.
Risk Statistics
A Monash University study published in the ANZ Journal of Surgery (2024) reported a 3.6% adverse-event rate within 90 days among 122,567 bariatric surgery patients, including ICU readmissions, reoperation, and death. There were 29 deaths assessed as possibly or definitely related to the procedure.