Last updated 15:54, Wednesday, 19 March 2008

A RETIRED process worker died after an operation to ease his cancer symptoms went wrong.

The lining of Charles Amor’s stomach was torn when a probe was inserted into his stomach as part of a procedure to clear an obstruction in his gut at Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary

The 87-year-old from Cleator Moor died at the hospital four days later on February 18 last year.

In a statement read out to a Carlisle inquest, Dr Chris MacDonald, who performed the operation, apologised to Mr Amor’s family.

He said he performed around 250 similar procedures a year and this was the first to go wrong in this way in 10 years.

Dr MacDonald said: “I apologise that this gentleman had a gastric perforation. I did apologise at the time. Unfortunately, perforation is a recognised if rare complication.”

The risks of the operation were explained to Mr Amor who, despite his deafness, seemed to understand, according to the doctor.

Mr Amor’s family did not attend the inquest but through North Cumbria coroner John Taylor, asked for an apology and full explanation from the hospital.

Mr Taylor recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.