John Atkinson, 82, of Hillside, Mundesley, died at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital (N&N) on September 27 last year within hours of being sent home.
The retired technical manager, who was born in Leicester on January 14, 1943, had undergone extensive bowel surgery after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
The medical cause of death was given as septic shock caused by faecal peritonitis, due to an ileocolic anastomotic leak following surgery carried out on September 19.
Norfolk Coroner’s Court, at County Hall in Norwich. (Image: Newsquest)
Norfolk Coroner’s Court was also told he also suffered from atrial fibrillation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
An inquest heard that Mr Atkinson had initially been referred for urgent investigation after concerns about cancer. He was later found to have two tumours in different parts of his bowel.
Area coroner Yvonne Blake said: “He was referred on a two-week pathway because there was a suspicion of cancer.
“Unfortunately, he was found to have two tumours – one quite large – in two different places in the bowel.
“But the surgeons were hopeful they could get rid of them both completely.”
A family of a man has lodged a complaint against the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (Image: BRITTANY WOODMAN)
A CT scan showed no sign that the cancer had spread, and Mr Atkinson was assessed and “deemed fit for surgery”, although his risks were noted to be slightly higher – including the possibility of a leak.
The procedure began as keyhole surgery but was converted to open surgery and both tumours were successfully removed.
Mrs Blake said: “He was stable throughout the operation, and it went relatively well.
“Post-operatively he also appeared quite well, and they were happy with his progress.”
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (Image: Newsquest)
He was transferred to a ward on September 24, where there were no immediate concerns or clinical signs of any infection.
Mr Atkinson was discharged seven days after his operation. However, within hours of returning home, his condition rapidly deteriorated.
His wife, Doreen Atkinson, told the inquest: “I feel so lost without John. We never expected this outcome.”
John Atkinson, who died following surgery at the N&N, with his wife Doreen (Image: Facebook)
She described how quickly his health declined after leaving hospital.
“We had been home for a few hours, and John was very uncomfortable. He couldn’t settle and I rang 999. He still had his hospital gown on.”
Paramedics took him back to hospital where he suffered a cardiac arrest but was successfully resuscitated.
However, a CT scan revealed a serious complication and he was taken straight back into surgery.
Ms Blake said: “He’d only been home for a few hours, and it sounds like he deteriorated quite quickly.
“Paramedics got him in hospital where he had a brief cardiac arrest, which they successfully resuscitated him from.
“He was given a CT scan and taken straight to theatre.”
John Atkinson, who died following surgery at the N&N, with his wife Doreen (Image: Facebook)
However, clinicians believe Mr Atkinson may already have been developing multi-organ failure before his readmission. Despite being taken for emergency surgery, he died on September 27.
The inquest heard that an anastomotic leak is a recognised complication of bowel surgery.
Addressing concerns from the family that Mr Atkinson may have been discharged too early, Mrs Blake said there had been no indication of a problem at the time.
“It does seem logical to me that there was no sign that they could have seen that it was leaking when he was discharged,” she said.
“When he did deteriorate, it seemed to happen very, very quickly.”
She recorded a short narrative conclusion briefly outlining the circumstances of his death.
Mr Atkinson was a well-known member of his local community, and regularly walked to the Haig Club in Mundesley, where he had been a committee member.
A celebration of his life was held there earlier this year, where live music was played and attendees were encouraged to wear Hawaiian shirts and bright colours.