A mum died unexpectedly after a routine surgery to have her colostomy surgery reversed and stoma removed, an inquest has heard. Carrie Jane Arthur died in hospital after complications relating to an Ileostomy reversal.
An ileostomy, or colostomy, reversal is a surgical procedure that closes the opening in the abdomen where a stoma was created, allowing the bowel to function normally again. It’s an option for people who have had a temporary ileostomy and is usually performed several months after the initial surgery.
The 62-year-old opted to have the elective surgery at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro as she did not want the stoma any longer. An inquest held at Cornwall’s Coroner’s Court, in Truro, on January 14 heard how she believed it would be a lifesaving operation to have to improve her future physical and mental health.
Her husband David John Arthur, in a statement provided, said that she was happy to go ahead with the operation despite the risks explained to her. The operation went well on November 5, 2024, but sadly Mrs Arthur’s health deteriorated in the following days.
She passed away peacefully by his side on November 11, 2024. He described her death as “so sudden” and “unexpected”.
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Following her operation to have the stoma reversed, healthcare professionals gave their best efforts to treat and save her, commencing numerous medications and treatments.
She sadly suffered a heart attack, pneumonia and progressed into multi-organ failure and multiple discussions took place with her family. On the afternoon of her death, her blood pressure dropped significantly and she was described as drowsy and unconscious and her non-invasive ventilation was removed.
Emma Hillson, assistant coroner for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, concluded that Mrs Arthur died from a recognised complication of an elective surgery.