Obese man who dropped from 41 to 26st ‘died after operation to remove excess skin’ 


  • Andrew Ross, 48, suffered severe brain damage prior to the operation
  • He was admitted for treatment to remove excess skin in March 2011
  • In 2008 Mr Ross underwent a gastric band op after ballooning to 41 stone
  • Inquest heard ‘complications’ arose as he was being put to sleep 
  • Father-of-three went into cardiac arrest for 10 minutes but was revived
  • Suffered brain damage and died in hospital of pneumonia five months later
  • Ex-wife Christine Blay told the inquest his weight had spiralled after he stopped working as a fork-lift truck driver following a fall
  • Hearing at Manchester Coroners’ Court continues 

By
Lizzie Parry for MailOnline

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Andrew Ross, 48, died after suffering severe brain damage during an operation to remove excess skin

An obese man died after suffering severe brain damage when he was put to sleep for surgery to remove excess skin, the result of a gastric band operation.

Andrew Ross’ weight dropped from 41 to 26 stone after the surgery in 2008, an inquest heard.

The 48-year-old former fork-lift truck driver from Wythenshawe, who weighed 26 stone, was admitted to the private Spire Manchester Hospital for treatment to remove excess skin from his abdomen. 

It followed a gastric bypass operation carried out in 2008.  

At that point, he weighed around 41 stone and had a body mass index of 67, three times what it should have been.

But the inquest heard ‘complications’ quickly arose after he was anaesthetised for the apronectomy procedure and he went into cardiac arrest for around 10 minutes.

Mr Ross, who had four children and three step-children, was revived but suffered brain damage, his ex-wife Christine Blay told the hearing.

He was taken to the cardiac intensive care unit at Wythenshawe Hospital then transferred to the specialist Dermot Murphy care home in Withington, where he had 24-hour care.

He died in hospital on August 10 after developing bronchial pneumonia.

The inquest heard Mr Ross had a very large heart due to his obesity and high blood pressure.

Mrs Blay, 49, his wife for 11 years, said his weight rose after he stopped working following a fall. 

He also suffered asthma and diabetes.

Coroner Nigel Meadows was told that the surgery was approved and he went for a pre-operative anaesthesia assessment a week before, where he was classed as high risk. 

Mrs Blay said that after he was admitted she was told that the operation hadn’t gone ahead and he was in a critical condition after a ‘cardiac event’.

The inquest heard Mr Ross’s heart stopped during an attempt to intubate him, or insert a tube down his throat. 

The operation in March 2011 followed gastric band surgery in 2008, after which Mr Ross’ weight fell from 41 to 26 stone, an inquest at Manchester Coroners’ Court heard. Pictured is the private Spire Hospital in Manchester

Anaesthetist Dr Deborah Nolan said there was a high risk of complication because he was morbidly obese. 

It was a ‘difficult intubation’ after relaxant and anaesthetic drugs were given before his oxygen levels dropped, the inquest heard. 

He was immediately given oxygen but his heart rate dropped, Dr Nolan said.

She said she had given him sufficient amounts of anaesthetics and had reacted in a ‘appropriate and timely’ way.

The inquest continues. 

 

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