Months later she was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis\/chronic fatigue syndrome – a severe fatigue that does not improve with rest, and can last for at least six months.<\/p>\n
The HDC found that while there were failings, it had been appropriate for Dr B to administer the drug because there was a risk of the woman regaining consciousness during surgery. Photo \/ Santiago Nunez<\/p>\n
When researching possible causes she reviewed her surgical clinical records from her hip surgery and discovered she had received sevoflurane during the operation.<\/p>\n
The anaesthetist who administered it said he had not told her about it because he \u201cdid not consider it to be important\u201d in light of the operation, and postoperative recovery having gone smoothly. <\/p>\n
Doctor complains about doctor<\/p>\n
The woman complained to the Health & Disability Commissioner <\/a>about the anaesthetist, who was found to have breached a section of the Health Consumers\u2019 code, related to patient rights to information.<\/p>\n The anaesthetist retired from medical practice in December 2021. <\/p>\n Commissioner Morag McDowell<\/a> agreed with independent clinical advice gathered during the investigation that failure to disclose what had occurred was a \u201csevere departure from accepted standards\u201d.<\/p>\n Before the operation, the woman emailed her surgeon\u2019s secretary, asking that information be added to her anaesthesiology form. <\/p>\n Her email noted concerns about a family history of complications following general anaesthesia, including that her mother had possibly experienced malignant hyperthermia – a severe reaction triggered by certain gaseous general anaesthesia medications. <\/p>\n Symptoms included fever, muscle rigidity, and increased heart rate. <\/p>\n Accordingly, the woman requested that propofol was used as her general anaesthetic.<\/p>\n She recalled the anaesthetist was \u201cinitially apprehensive\u201d because he considered that complications with sevoflurane were rare, but he ultimately agreed to use propofol.<\/p>\n