Mother died of lung clot week after veins surgery

A 46-YEAR-OLD mother of three died just over a week after routine surgery to remove varicose veins from her legs, an inquest heard.

Karen McCabe from Lucan, Co. Dublin, underwent the minimally invasive procedure to remove extensive varicose veins at the Bon Secours Hospital in Dublin on August 6, 2014.

Dublin Coroner’s Court heard that she died due to a blood clot in the lung nine days after her surgery.

She had contacted the Bons Secours Hospital three days prior to her death complaining of pain, the court heard.

Staff nurse Emma Thompson took a phone call from Ms McCabe on Tuesday, August 12. The court heard that the vascular consultant surgeon who carried out the procedure, Professor Austin Leahy, was at his holiday home at Ballydavid in Co. Kerry at the time.

Ms Thompson told the court she did not contact Prof. Leahy as per hospital policy because she believed the patient was going to see her GP. Ms McCabe told the nurse not to contact Prof Leahy as she didn’t want to disturb him, according to Ms Thompson. Prof. Leahy stressed that he was ‘available at all times’ to be called or texted.

Ms McCabe had attended the Bons Secours in ‘severe pain’ on August 13, two days before her death.

She was advised to go to Beaumont Hospital and was provided with a referral letter, but she didn’t attend the emergency department at Beaumont until the following day, August 14. She went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead the following morning.

The inquest was adjourned pending evidence from further witnesses.