Locum surgeon made 'gross' and 'extraordinary' error while operating on seriously ill young man

A locum surgeon made a 'gross' and 'extraordinary' error while operating on a seriously ill young man, an inquest heard.

One specialist described the procedure, performed by Dr Yasser Rahman on William Spillane, as 'unknown to man' adding: "There's no possible reason why one would undertake that as a therapeutic measure'. Coroner Catherine McKenna said she would consider whether Mr Spillane's death came as a result of neglect or gross negligence manslaughter.

An inquest into Mr Spillane's death, who died aged 27 in May 2021, heard that he went to Royal Oldham Hospital in August 2020 complaining of 'severe abdominal pain'. But he wasn't seen by a surgeon until 28 hours later and it would be another eight hours before he had a CT scan and was taken to an operating theatre for surgery on a perforated bowel

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There Dr Rahman performed a procedure known as an anastomosis, the medical term for a surgical connection between two tubular structures. But the inquest was told he connected 'two bits of bowel the wrong way round' and 'tied the wrong end back up to the stomach'.

Expert witness Dr Nigel Scott, a colorectal surgeon based at the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, described the operation as a 'gross surgical error, the like of which I have never seen done in these circumstances previously'.

Prof Gordon Carlson, a consultant surgeon at Salford Royal, told the inquest at Rochdale coroners court he was instructed by Greater Manchester Police to look at the issue of potential gross negligence manslaughter in the case.

Ms McKenna asked how it could have happened in an operating theatre 'and one of the other clinicians have not noticed'. Prof Carlson, said: "It's entirely possible more junior surgeons may not have been able to recognise the anatomy as it was very badly distorted. It may be they didn't realise and just assumed he knew what he was doing."

Prof Carlson added even had the surgery been done correctly 'I would have concerns that was a reasonable strategy'. A 'remedial operation' was performed three weeks to rectify the error and Mr Spillane, of Littleborough, Rochdale, also had a stoma fitted.

Prof Carlson said it was an 'awful insult' to Mr Spillane, who suffered from lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, and that having to undergo a second op was a 'setback' to his recovery. But, when asked if he believed the botched op caused or contributed to Mr Spillane's death nine months later he replied: "No, I don't believe so."

Dr Scott told the inquest: "This is an amazingly complex and difficult set of events in the middle of which there's an erroneous operation which was not helpful in any way to Mr Spillane. But the death here was related to how he presented with very advanced lymphoma."

Dr Peter Byrne, a consultant colorectal surgeon at Royal Oldham, told the inquest that 'even for a locum' Dr Rahman's error was 'extraordinary' adding it was something he 'struggled to understand'.

Dr Byrne told the inquest since Mr Spillane's death a number of changes have been made at the hospital, including an increase in the number of consultant surgeons on duty at any one time from 'seven or eight' to 12. Addressing Mr Spillane's parents and step-parents, who were in court, Dr Byrne said: "I am here to apologise on behalf of the trust and personally."

William's mum Carol Spillane broke in down tears as she told the inquest: "I do not feel that as a mother I could have done more in getting someone to help William. Despite having asked for communication and supervision of Mr Rahman it didn't make any difference. We were being told that William was progressing and that there was no reason for concern."

William's step-dad Stephen Ball told the inquest he felt that while was in hospital William was 'slowly being killed'. The inquest heard Mr Rahman no longer has a licence to practise.

Ms McKenna said she would give her conclusion on November 15.