The Daily Mail has recently reported on the tragic case of a mother of three who died following a puncture to the stomach during a gastric band operation.
Tracey Korkmaz, 41, underwent a gastric sleeve operation in January 2008 at University College Hospital, London.
During a gastric sleeve operation, the stomach is divided and up to three quarters of it is removed. The remaining stomach is then shaped into a smaller tube or sleeve. This has the effect of reducing the size of the stomach and limits the amount of food that can be eaten
The Daily Mail stated that during Tracey Korkmaz’s keyhole surgery, the surgeon found that Tracey had an enlarged liver and that she had suffered internal bleeding. The surgeon then reversed the procedure.
Following the first operation, Tracey had feverish symptoms and the doctors operated again to try to discover the cause but did not find the puncture. Poisonous fluids continued to leak into her body causing permanent damage.
A third operation was undertaken but unfortunately, Tracey’s condition did not improve. Tracey had blood poisoning and multiple organ failure and sadly, 10 days later, her life support machine was switched off. The coroner’s verdict was death by accidental adverse healthcare.
In November of last year, the High Court awarded Tracey Korkmaz’s family with an undisclosed amount.
A spokesman for University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said:
'An internal review was carried out following Mrs Korkmaz's death and actions have been taken to minimize the risk of an incident like this happening again in the future.'
By Alex Gill
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