A 70-year-old Lydney woman sadly died when a ‘pinhole leak’ occurred after she had undergone bowel cancer surgery at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital last year, an inquest heard.

Jennifer Ball of Ridler Road, a retired cleaner, underwent a right hemi colectomy operation on February 5 2021 and had a further operation on February 10 when her condition deteriorated, the Gloucester inquest was told.

Her death was not related to the surgery, Assistant Gloucestershire Coroner Roland Wooderson said .

Her condition continued to deteriorate despite intensive antibiotic treatment and she died on February 14, the day before her 71st birthday, with family members present.

The coroner recorded a narrative conclusion to the inquest.

He stated “Mrs Ball underwent a laparoscopic right hemi colectomy on 5th February 2021.

“Her clinical profile deteriorated and she underwent a second operation on February 10.

“Her condition deteriorated post-operatively and she died on February 14 2021.

“The cause of death was cardiac failure with bronchial pneumonia,  ischemic heart disease with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the operation being complicated by a leak and suture of the wound.”

The inquest heard that after the initial surgery the joint between her colon and small bowel showed no sign of a leak.

There was no evidence of any contamination of the peritoneal cavity.

“There was no evidence that the original surgery or subsequent procedure had been performed incompetently,” said the coroner.

“There is no evidence to suggest that the outcome was due to the surgical intervention.”

Consultant surgeon Mark Peacock said that after he performed the original operation a CT scan was done and it showed there was possibly a leak at the joint in the bowel so antibiotics were started.

Her condition did not improve so she was taken for a second operation and only minimal contamination was found but there was certainly a pinhole leak, he stated.

He stitched the defect, put in a drain and cleaned the operation site but she continued to deteriorate, he added.