Bed goes bang, falls during surgery

A woman’s liver was accidentally cut and had to be cauterised because the operating theatre bed she was on ‘‘collapsed a bit’’ mid-surgery.

Southern Cross Hospitals has launched an investigation into the incident in Christchurch on Tuesday, and is testing all beds in the facility.

Connie John said she was ‘‘pretty shocked and upset’’ when she found out what had happened to her 59-year-old mother, who did not want to be named, during surgery to remove her gallbladder at the private hospital.

The procedure, which was done under general anaesthetic, was accessed through the public system but outsourced to Southern Cross.

A Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) surgeon carried out the procedure, according to a Southern Cross spokeswoman.

After her mother had woken up and was recovering in a ward, John said the surgeon told her ‘‘during the operation they heard a bang and the table collapsed a bit’’.

‘‘He said he was holding the liver with a hook thing, and that’s what cut it.’’

The gallbladder is located under the liver in the upper right area of the abdomen. The surgeon had been holding the liver out of the way, John said; the sudden movement meant the hook-device caused a cut.

‘‘He said it was about a 4-millimetre cut, and then they had to cauterise it because the liver bleeds like anything.’’

The surgery continued and the gallbladder was removed. John said her mother was transferred to Christchurch Hospital on Wednesday.

Her mother was unsure if the incident had caused any additional post-operative pain, John said.

‘‘I was more worried about it than her,’’ she said. ‘‘I can’t believe that it happened. I’m just thankful it didn’t get her lung or something.’’

Southern Cross Hospitals chief executive Terry Moore said the woman was told ‘‘the bed had partially dropped during the operation’’ as soon as possible after surgery.

Southern Cross had apologised, let the woman know it was opening an immediate investigation and informed her of its complaints process and how to contact the Health and Disability Commissioner.

The bed, a Steris CMAX3 surgical table, had been removed from service immediately and sent to the supplier for testing, Moore said.

It was the only bed of its type in use at the Christchurch hospital.

‘‘All our beds are serviced annually and this bed’s servicing was up to date. We have never had this issue before, but we are now testing all beds in the hospital to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

‘‘We would like to again apologise to [the woman] and wish her well with her recovery.’’

Southern Cross would notify the woman as soon as it learnt the outcome of the investigation, he said.

Questions regarding the cut to the woman’s liver should be referred to her doctor, a Southern Cross spokeswoman said.