A mother-of-three died after undergoing breast enlargement and tummy tuck procedures at the same time on the advice of surgery staff who said it would be cheaper, an inquest has heard.
Louise Harvey, 36, died from blood clots following the surgeries, carried out by Transform plastic surgery clinic at Riverside hospital in London.
The beautician suffered a blood clot and was not given a second dose of blood thinners, despite medical notes indicating she had been, a coroner said.
Louise Harvey, 36, died from a blood clot following the surgeries, carried out by Transform plastic surgery clinic at Riverside hospital in London
The beautician suffered a blood clot and was not given a second dose of blood thinners, despite medical notes indicating she had been, a coroner said
The damning admission came despite Miss Harvey’s family’s noted history of blood clotting conditions which could have made her ‘at risk’ of suffering a blood clot, the inquest heard.
Her mother Linda Harvey, 53, whose own mother died of blood clotting, said that her daughter was sent home without the necessary blood thinners.
It was reported that a second dose of anti-coagulant drugs to help thin the blood was ‘crossed out’ on her notes indicating she had been given the dosage.
But she was only given one dose which was meant to be administered four hours after the operation – but was actually given eight hours later, the inquest heard.
In a statement read by Norfolk’s area coroner Yvonne Blake, Linda Harvey said that her daughter wanted a tummy tuck as ‘she felt she had some loose skin around her belly following the birth of her youngest son’.
She said Miss Harvey spoke with someone at the clinic and ‘they suggested having (the two operations) at the same time as it would be cheaper’.
The mother-of-three died after breast enlargement and tummy tuck procedures at the same time on the advice of surgery staff who said it would be cheaper, an inquest has heard
Her three-hour surgery was completed on June 17 2018 and she took a taxi home to Norwich on June 19 2018.
Her mother said Miss Harvey was not given blood thinners to take home, adding that: ‘If Louise had been advised about this I would have expected her to tell me’.
At an outpatient appointment in Norwich on June 26 Miss Harvey was advised that the ‘stitches were OK’ and ‘she was healing well’, her mother said.
But an ambulance was called and she was taken to hospital on July 3 after she collapsed and started fitting, her mother said.
‘Louise’s organs were giving up,’ her mother said. ‘She had blood clots in her heart and lungs.’
She said that on July 4 Miss Harvey was able to talk, asked where she was and if her sons could visit her. Tragically, she died the next day.
Her mother said that on July 12 2018 ‘Transform called to offer their condolences but couldn’t offer any explanation as to what happened’.
Consultant plastic surgeon Manish Sinha, who performed the operations was asked questions by Ms Blake.
She asked: ‘When you saw Louise and you discussed the risks of any surgery, were you aware of her family history, her sister having had a clot and her grandmother?’
‘No ma’am, I was not,’ replied the doctor, whose surgery has since closed.
He said it was not his usual practice to read a pre-assessment form completed by a patient with a nurse, in which Miss Harvey’s family history of DVT (deep vein thrombosis) was recorded, ‘unless specific things have been flagged up to me’.
Dr Sinha said: ‘That has been a huge learning curve for me to understand that there are things that can happen without my knowledge.
‘I have changed my practice now when I ring up to enquire about my patients, I make sure they have received the drug.
‘Increasingly, I prescribe medication myself as and when I can.’
The fact that Louise was having multiple procedures also increased the risks of complications, the inquest heard.
Caroline Cross, who represents the family, asked the consultant: ‘Louise’s sister had a blood clotting condition and she discussed taking medication.
‘Louise’s maternal grandmother had died from a blood clotting condition would you not assume that Louise had a blood clotting issue until proved otherwise?
He replied: ‘I would have advised Louise to have had a blood test done before she considers surgery.’
The inquest heard how after she was discharged, Ms Harvey would need help to wash herself and her hair.
Dr Sinah said: ‘I am at a loss to understand why the mobility was so reduced.
‘From the phone calls I have seen it does not suggest Louise deteriorated from the point she was discharged.
‘I wouldn’t expect her to be bed bound for seven days, I would have expected her to be going up and down the stairs.’
Dr Sinha recorded that Ms Harvey’s mobility was significant after calling up to enquire on her progress- despite another doctor’s note saying she had reduced mobility.
The inquest, which is listed to last five days, continues.