Cheshire OAP died after surgery went wrong

Jun 12 2008 by Allison Dickinson, Chester Chronicle

A CHESHIRE man died after surgery to remove part of his enlarged prostate went wrong, an inquest heard.

John Trevor Joinson, 87, a retired butcher from Chester Road, Kelsall, died on August 4 at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

His widow Marjorie, 79, attended the inquest on Tuesday, June 10, heard by Cheshire coroner Nicholas Rheinberg.

Mr Joinson suffered from poor health and had developed a bladder stone after it became necessary for him to be fitted with a urethral catheter.

Consultant neurological surgeon Dr Christopher Powell stated that Mr Joinson had an operation on July 26 to remove part of his prostate - known as a TURP procedure - and remove the 5cm bladder stone.

This required the insertion of a ‘superpubic’ catheter directly into the wall of the bladder.

But during the procedure to insert the superpubic tube, the bladder wall was perforated, causing urine to leak into his abdominal cavity, which then led to Mr Joinson developing septicaemia.

As a known complication of this type of surgery, this was probably caused during the insertion procedure, but consultant pathologist Dr Jacqueline Elder noted that bladder stones often cause the bladder wall to become thin and prone to rupture.

Mr Joinson’s condition deteriorated in the days following the operation and he died on August 4.

Verdict: Misadventure.