Blood scooped out of Jayant Patel surgery patient, court heras
February 23, 2009 11:32am, Daily Telegraph
Patel patient bled after surgery, court told
Patel 'had to reopen and scoop out blood'
Surgeon faces manslaughter charges
A PATIENT had to be reopened so that more than two litres of blood could be removed from his abdomen following an operation by Jayant Patel, a court has been told.
Gerry Kemps had lost so much blood after an oesophagectomy in December 2004 that Dr Patel had to scoop it from his abdomen with a kidney dish, former Bundaberg Base Hospital scrub nurse Katrina Zwolak told the Brisbane Magistrates Court today.
Ms Zwolak said more than 2.3 litres of blood was eventually removed in this manner, and through the use of sponges and a suction line.
Mr Kemps was reopened for the treatment of the internal bleeding about five hours after the oesophagectomy.
The court was told Dr Patel failed to stop the internal bleeding during the initial operation, then left Mr Kemps while he conducted non-emergency surgery on another patient.
It's alleged Dr Patel again failed to stop the bleeding during the second operation, and Mr Kemps died the next day.
Patel has been charged with Mr Kemps's manslaughter.
Ms Zwolak told the court Dr Patel had been "frantic'' when he couldn't find the source of the bleeding, and that he kept saying: "This is not from my surgery.''
However, during earlier evidence in the committal hearing, vascular surgeon Dr Brian Thiele told the court he believed the bleed was likely caused by damage during surgery, as spontaneous aortic ruptures were "extremely rare''.
He also said a competent surgeon should have been able to locate the source of the bleeding.
Dr Patel is facing 13 charges, including three of manslaughter
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- Dear Fellow Bloggers, For some time I have thought about starting a left of centre news and commentary service and I have tried to do this by using email. But as some good, but email overloaded friends have suggested, a better way to go may be by blogging. So here it is! Jenny's Red News. My primary interests are left of centre politics and the very important question of how can we get left of centre parties, groups and grouplets in Australia working together more co-operatively. The right of centre predominates politics in this country at the present time, and they are on the march. We on the left of centre need to work together more co-operatively and constructively to put the left of centre agenda out there, for the perusal and consumption of the Australian people. Particular topics that will be reported on and on which comments are welcome are: Industrial relations - Opposition to Workchoices Refugee and Asylum Seekers Human Rights Civil Liberties Opposition to the Welfare to Work Changes Health System Reform Aboriginal Health and Reconciliation Jenny Haines posted by JENNY'S RED NEWS at 12:50 AM 0 comments