A 62-year-old man named Shobha Ram died during a live surgery being conducted at AIIMS, Delhi. The surgery was being performed in the presence of top medical practitioners from around the world but due to excessive blood loss, the patient could not be saved. It took place on July 31. The patient was suffering from liver cirrhosis and was undergoing a laparoscopic surgery for liver cancer.
According to sources, the surgery lasted for seven hours and the patient lost a lot of blood due to which he could not be saved. He was later admitted to the ICU but nothing could be done. A cloth shop worker, he was admitted to the hospital on July 13. His family was told that the surgery would be done under the presence of a lot of renowned doctors and students from top collages.
The laparoscopy started but after four hours things were not falling into place. This is when others suggested opting for an open surgery. But the operating doctors continued with it and it was nearly seven hours into it. By this time, the patient had lost a lot of blood and the doctors understood that even an open surgery would not be enough. So they stitched up his stomach and took him to the ICU. But unfortunately it was too late and he could not be saved.
While many are counting it as a medical negligence case, AIIMS has denied these charges and says blood loss is a risk that is part of the surgery. It also added that the mortality rate for such a surgery is very low, about 5 to 10 percent.