A RETIRED teacher died after a routine operation went wrong.

Thomas Sheppard had gone into hospital for a gall bladder operation and died six days later, a Bolton inquest heard.

Mr Sheppard, 78, of Colchester Drive, Farnworth, had been admitted to the then Bolton General Hospital after a large stone was discovered in his gall bladder. Key-hole surgery was carried out to remove the organ by Graham Ostick.

But Mr Sheppard had to have another operation after his bowel was discovered to be perforated. He did not recover.

The inquest revealed that Mr Sheppard's bowel was probably perforated during the operation to remove the gall bladder.

Mrs Sheppard said her husband had been "fit and well" before the operation.

A post mortem revealed Mr Sheppard died from "shock lung" brought on by the small bowel injury. A secondary factor was heart disease.

Coroner Mr Martin Coppel in recording a verdict of "misadventure", said Mr Sheppard had gone into hospital knowing there was a risk. The verdict, he said, covered "an accident or perhaps a mistake".

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.