Wolverhampton pensioner died at hospital after suffering cardiogenic shock during hip replacement revision, inquest hears
A coroner will ask for reports into the death of a Wolverhampton woman after she went into New Cross Hospital for surgery.
Black Country assistant coroner Joanne Lees opened the inquest into the death of Muriel Holland, who was having a revision of her left hip replacement undertaken at New Cross on November 20 this year when she suffered a cardiogenic shock from which she later died.
The inquest at the Black Country Coroners Court in Oldbury this week heard Mrs Holland, who was 84, had the hip replacement 20 years ago but had been having 'extreme pain' in the last two years and could barely walk more than 100 yards without a frame, which she also used for getting around her house.
She agreed to go ahead with the operation after the possible risks were outlined to her by doctors at New Cross. The previous day she had been admitted to the hospital with low blood pressure, which a nurse was concerned about, her family said.
Although the family were satisfied with the way the procedure was outlined to her, and them, they still had questions about whether it should have been carried out at all.
Her son Gary also raised the possibility that bone cement implantation syndrome (a serious complication which can occur during joint surgery and is characterised by breathing problems and low blood pressure) had occurred.
Adjourning the inquest Mrs Lees said: "Three questions need to be answered to satisfy the family: whether Mrs Holland's condition was limited to having to have surgery or whether it could have been dealt with in another way; whether she was fit enough for surgery, and the risks associated with it."
She said she would be writing to New Cross Hospital and seeking its response ahead of re-opening the inquest sometime in January.