Inquest finds woman should not have been discharged after gastric bypass surgery
An Australian inquest has found that Rosemarie Campbell, who died three days after gastric bypass surgery in February 2022, likely would have survived if she had not been discharged from hospital. The coroner determined that nursing staff failed to inform surgeon Dr. Vahid Reza Adib of Ms. Campbell's deteriorating condition, including severe vomiting, which should have prevented her discharge. The case also revealed the surgeon used false statements in medical documents, with the coroner finding his credibility was seriously undermined.
Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher's inquest findings, published following a three-day hearing in August 2023, concluded that Rosemarie Campbell should not have been discharged from The Wesley Hospital in Brisbane on February 25, 2022, the day after her gastric bypass surgery. Ms. Campbell had begun vomiting the evening after surgery and continued to vomit multiple times before discharge, yet nursing staff did not adequately communicate her deteriorating condition to Dr. Adib. The coroner found that had Dr. Adib been properly informed and assessed Ms. Campbell, he would not have approved her discharge, and the underlying complications—a herniated and perforated bowel—would likely have been discovered and treated in hospital, preventing her death. The inquest also examined Dr. Adib's professional conduct, finding he had submitted false statements in a letter supporting Ms. Campbell's early superannuation access to fund the surgery, using a template letter that the coroner deemed an egregious breach of his responsibilities. The coroner's findings questioned Dr. Adib's overall credibility and reliability.
What different sources said
- ABC AustraliaCenter
Woman who died after surgery should not have been discharged, inquest finds
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