The lethal hidden danger of private operations. As record numbers seek private treatment doctors reveal the terrifying consequences when something goes wrong..
. By John Naish Published: 02:00 BST, 13 August 2024 | Updated: 02:07 BST, 13 August 2024 e-mail View comments When Christine Booker, 79, went into a private hospital for a hip operation in February last year, it promised to be a straightforward procedure that came only weeks after she had celebrated her 60th wedding anniversary with her husband Peter, 84. But what should have been a routine op resulted instead in a tragic series of events and Christine's death.
An inquest heard how, during the procedure, the surgeon at the Winterbourne Hospital in Dorchester drilled a hole in her hip socket in order to screw an artificial replacement joint into place. But blood flowed from the drill hole and it only stopped after the surgeon inserted the screw. As a result, Christine, from Wareham, Dorset, lost half a litre of blood – considered high for such a routine procedure.
Within hours of the surgery, Christine's blood pressure plummeted because of internal bleeding and she fell unconscious. Staff at the private hospital tried to resuscitate her, but in the end had to call an ambulance to rush Christine to the nearby NHS Dorset County Hospital. Christine Booker, 79, with her husband Peter, 84.
Christine died after attending a private hospital for a routine hip operation in February last year That's because, as is typical of pr.