Robotic heart valve operation death

EXPERTS WHO were supposed to assist surgeons carrying out the first robotic heart valve operation of its kind in the UK left the hospital theatre before the procedure was finished and the patient died days later, an inquest has heard.

A major investigation was launched by Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust following the death of Stephen Pettitt, 69, from Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, at the Freeman Hospital in March 2015. He suffered multiple organ failure after the procedure led by heart surgeon Sukumaran Nair and the incident was investigated by police, the inquest at Newcastle Civic Centre was told.

It was later found Mr Nair had been offered training on the use of the robot with the hospital’s gynaecology department, but he did not take it up.

He told a colleague later he could have done more “dry-run” training beforehand, the hearing was told.

Expert assistants in the use of the sophisticated Da Vinci robot, known as proctors, were present for only some of the procedure on Mr Pettitt, but left part-way through.

The proctors were not from the manufacturer Intuitive Services, but a different firm called Edwards Lifesciences.

Paul Renforth, a co-ordinator in the use of robotics at the Freeman Hospital, told the inquest the proctors left without any staff being aware they were going.

After Mr Pettitt died, the co-ordinator said Mr Nair rang him to say “the procedure had not gone as planned”.

Simon Haynes, the trust’s clinical director of cardiothoracic services, said after it went wrong, the trust launched a major inquiry.

The inquest continues.