A post-mortem revealed an unusual case of undiagnosed blood clots in the lungs caused the death of a patient after a significant cardiac surgery operation at a private Dublin hospital, according to a recent inquest. Brendan Lawlor, a resident of Carlow, passed away two weeks after undergoing repair surgery for his mitral valve at Mater Private Hospital.
The Coroner’s Court of Dublin District was informed on Wednesday that Mr. Lawlor’s cardiothoracic surgeon, Michael Tolan, considered the clots a scarce yet acknowledged surgical complication, something he’d only come across a couple of times throughout his career. Cardiac surgery typically displays scarce instances of this condition, especially as high anticoagulant dosages, which serve as preventative measures against clotting, are given during operations, Mr. Tolan noted.
Mr. Lawlor, aged 69, was monitored and given anticoagulants during his hospital stay, with regular use of compression stockings following his surgery. When his health took a sudden downturn on July 31, the idea of blood clots wasn’t considered, according to Mr. Tolan. He stated that the identified probable cause of Mr. Lawlor’s health decline was related to a blockage in one of his lungs due to thick secretions.
Despite seemingly successful surgery on July 15, Mr. Lawlor was unfortunately transferred to intensive care due to worsened health condition six days following fallout. His need for intubation resulted from numerous complications including chest infection and subcutaneous emphysema – a troubling condition involving air accumulation under the skin, causing Mr. Lawlor to be unable to open his eyes, subsequently rectified.
As of July 30, Mr Lawlor’s condition was stabilising to the extent medical staff thought his troubles were behind him. The following day, however, he sadly suffered respiratory arrest and was pronounced dead soon after.
Post-mortem findings revealed the presence of blood clots, which the inquest stated had not been diagnosed until Mr Lawlor’s autopsy. While a CT scan would have identified these, Mr. Lawlor was too critically ill to undergo this diagnosis, Mr. Tolan concluded.
The inquiry disclosed that Mr Lawlor had the notion he’d be back at home shortly after his surgical procedures; he even made certain alterations to his residence to aid in his healing. This involved refurbishing a bathroom and planning to sleep on the ground floor.
Coroner Aisling Gannon presented two potential outcomes for the judgement. One of these was misadventure, suggesting that the post-surgery blood clots could be regarded as an unforeseen outcome, without attributing any blame.
Nevertheless, representatives from Dublin’s Mater Private proposed that a story-based verdict would be more suitable due to the complexities leading up to Mr Lawlor’s passing—a suggestion that Ms Gannon agreed with.
Ms Gannon determined the cause of death to be numerous bilateral pulmonary emboli after the operation against a backdrop of various existing ailments, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.