Wirksworth: Wife died after gastric bypass complication

Jane Lansdowne, of Yokecliffe Drive, Wirksworth, died on May 2 last year 11 days after having surgery at Royal Derby Hospital.

The 58–year–old had struggled with obesity for many years and had lost quite a lot of weight prior to undergoing the procedure.

Her husband William Lansdowne said: “She was insistent she was going to do this. There was no way she was going to back out.

“We said ‘you have lost a tremendous amount of weight already’, but she insisted she wanted a better life.”

A post–mortem examination of Mrs Lansdowne revealed there had been a blockage of liquid in her bowel, which led to her contracting blood poisoning, causing her to die from an undiagnosed brain injury.

Consultant surgeon, Mr Javed Ahmed, said the complication was very rare and he had not seen it in more than 500 gastric bypass operations that he had carried out.

Mr Lansdowne, 69, said: “I hope this doesn’t put people off the procedure.

“Mr Ahmed and his team are tremendous. He’d spoken to colleagues all over the country and international colleagues and he couldn’t have done more for her.

“She would have wanted people to be inspired rather than put off by it.”

Mrs Lansdowne, who was originally from Mansfield, had recently retired from her role as director of therapy services at King’s Mill Hospital.

She moved to Wirksworth with her husband and son, James, about 18 years ago.

“We have got friends in Wirksworth and we have always loved the place and that’s why we moved up here,” William said.

He added: “She was a fantastic mother and we had great times together.

“She was a great person. Everybody that worked with her – all the people at King’s Mill Hospital and all her friends – were absolutely shattered by the fact that she hadn’t made it.”