Accountant, 22, died from blood poisoning caused by gastric band she had fitted four years earlier
Kasey Corlett's family were left 'devastated' by her sudden death just before Christmas from a rare complication
A YOUNG accountant died just before Christmas last year from blood poisoning due to complications from gastric band surgery.
Four years after Kasey Corlett, 22, had the operation at a private clinic to lose weight her health deteriorated.
A rare complication saw her suffer multiple organ failure and she died in hospital on December 13 2015 despite specialist life support surgery.
It emerged Kasey, from Douglas, Isle of Man, suffered sepsis and a brain haemorrhage caused by the gastric band damaging the lining of the heart.
The inquest into her death in Manchester on Friday learned that she had been treated repeatedly for issues relating to the band in the year before she died including for a leak.
But the hospital which treated her was unaware of these complications.
In a statement after the hearing her father Gary Corlett said: "Kasey had a gastric fitted and started to lose weight greatly.
"The band was her choice and the family fully supported her decision. The decision was only known to a small number of her close family.
"We are devastated with what happened but Kasey was very pleased with the treatment as it allowed her to control her weight."
Kasey weighed 16 stone aged 17 but waited a year on medical advice to have the treatment for an adjustable gastric band.
This procedure was carried out on July 10 2011 at Dolan Park Hospital in Birmingham.
Consultant surgeon Alan Li told the inquest the operation went smoothly and he had no contact with Kasey until April 2014 when she underwent small adjustments to the band.
Dr Li said he later removed a fracture and leak from the gastric band in July 2014 before Kasey suffered a small infection from a wound underneath where the band was fitted.
After x-rays and a course of antibiotics, the wound had healed by December of that year, added Dr Li.
Kasey was admitted to Nobles Hospital in Douglas on December 12 2015 but on the same day was transferred to Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester, where she died a day later.
Dr Tim Hayes, a consultant at University Hospital South Manchester Trust said: "She was admitted to hospital with a history of back pain and had become drowsy and agitated.
"She was then admitted to intensive care where she deteriorated very quickly and was put on a breathing machine.
";She suffered a further cardiac arrest and multi-organ failure and after considering our options we put her on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
"We did scans and found multiple haemorrhages and the unusual appearance of the gastric band. There was no further surgical procedure available to us - there was no evidence on the referral form about a gastric band."
Recording a narrative verdict Assistant Coroner Mrs Jean Harkin said: "I am satisfied that Kasey was well informed of any complications and Dr Li advised her to wait until she was 18.
"Mr Lee offered an open door policy and allowed her to contact the hospital at any time in case of any complications with the surgery. It is clear here that a rare complication has occurred in the form of the band perforating and causing infection that lead in this case to death.
"It is clear that at the hospital the doctor was unaware of any issues relating to gastric bands and the infection that had occurred which required further surgery.
"Kasey died from a rare complication of gastric band surgery and we offer our sincere condolences to the family. This inquest can hopefully teach us a lesson about improving communication between services."
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