'Impossible' to say if Bristol hospital surgery killed woman

Jacqui Kingston died aged 73, about four years after the mesh was fitted

A coroner has ruled it was "impossible" to say if a pioneering surgical technique led to a woman's death.

Jacqui Kingston, from Marshfield, died in March last year - four years after having mesh fitted for a prolapsed bowel at Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

An inquest at Avon Coroners' Court examined whether this or other operations led to Mrs Kingston's death.

Coroner Maria Voisin said they "seemed connected" but it was "impossible to know" which one killed the 73-year-old.

The inquest heard that Mrs Kingston was a fragile patient with many underlying health conditions, including heart disease.

'Seemed connected'

In May 2016 she had mesh fitted by colorectal surgeon Tony Dixon to support her internal organs and repair a rectal prolapse, the inquest heard.

Mr Dixon was dismissed by the North Bristol NHS Trust in 2019 after dozens of his patients were told they should have been offered alternative treatment first.

A four-day inquest, which concluded on Thursday, examined whether this mesh or its subsequent removal led to the mother-of-four's death.

Jacqui Kingston died after having an operation at Southmead Hospital in Bristol

On Monday, pathologist Edward Sheffield told the hearing that the use of the mesh may have contributed to her death.

But Mrs Voisin - the senior coroner for Avon - concluded that there was no neglect or missed opportunities and that Mrs Kingston died after a series of operations to remove the mesh.

The inquest heard that Mrs Kingston was admitted to Southmead Hospital on 13 March 2020 with problems including abdominal pain and nausea.

'Not survivable'

On 15 March she had a laparotomy - a procedure to examine her internal organs.

Doctors discovered "early adhesions" but nothing that was "not survivable", the inquest heard.

"Unfortunately she continued to deteriorate and died the next day," the hearing was told.

The immediate cause of death was multiple organ failure caused by adhesions - areas of scar tissue that can cause organs or tissues in the abdomen to stick together.

Summing up, Mrs Voisin said in her view the prolapsed bowel led to the mesh being fitted which led to further surgery, adhesions and death.

She concluded: "It's a chain of events and not possible to say which surgery caused the adhesions."