THE surgeon who carried out an operation on a 68-year-old cancer patient at York Hospital told an inquest he could not understand the circumstances which led to her death.

The hearing was told that Doreen Gregory, of Manor Cottages, Raskelf, near Easingwold, died five days after an operation to remove her pancreas, which was riddled with cancer.

Mrs Gregory had her operation on August 11, and died just before midnight on August 16 last year.

Dr Prituiu Maheswaran, who carried out a post-mortem on Mrs Gregory, found a knot caused by stitches made during the operation had cut off the blood flow to a vital artery supplying her lower bowel, which caused her death.

Mr Wingzou Wong, the surgeon who performed the lengthy operation, said it appeared to have been successful, and Mrs Gregory was returned to intensive care to recuperate.

Days later she complained of discomfort and was taken in to surgery again on August 16 when her lower bowel was found to be "dead".

Mr Wong said he could not understand how it had happened, and that one explanation was that stitching made close to the artery during the surgery had eaten into the artery and cut off the blood supply.

Mrs Gregory's sister, Linda Bowman, said she did not blame Mr Wong for the death.

York coroner Donald Coverdale recorded a verdict of death by misadventure, and said Mr Wong had carried out the operation in "good faith" and could not be blamed for the outcome.

He said: "It would seem the procedure Mr Wong carried out was serious and prolonged and was carried out perfectly properly.

"There was no crisis during the course of the surgery.

"There was no accident, and no slip of the hand or slip of the knife or anything of that nature.

"It is unfortunate, but it is a recognised risk that this suture could have impaired the supply to the mesenteric artery."

A spokeswoman for York Hospital said: "We would like to express our sympathies to the family of Mrs Gregory during this difficult time and the hospital has co-operated fully with the coroner.

"This was a very complex and difficult procedure and we explained openly and honestly the circumstances around Mrs Gregory's death.

"We continue to have every confidence in our hospital surgeons."

Updated: 10:17 Friday, July 02, 2004