Woman dies after trip for stomach op

A company selling cosmetic surgery tours overseas has stopped offering obesity operations after a Wellington woman died at a Malaysian resort while recovering from surgery.

The 42-year-old's family want her death investigated, and better funding for people needing treatment for obesity.

The Wellingtonian died in June, a fortnight after having a Gorgeous Getaways-organised lapband operation in Kuala Lumpur. She believed she did not qualify for weight-loss surgery here. The Australasian company has since stopped offering the operations but still offers liposuction and other procedures, and says it is not responsible for the woman's death.

Lapband surgery involves placing a silicone band around the upper stomach, which makes patients feel fuller and encourages weight loss. It differs from so-called stomach stapling, which involves removing part of the stomach to make it smaller.

The woman's family said they asked the company for details about the surgeon and the level of post-operative care but had received little useful information.

A pathology report said the woman died of hypoglaecemia. The family want their local coroner to investigate the death but says that has been constrained by the lack of documentation.

Gorgeous Getaways director Louise Cogan said the woman's death was sad and unfortunate but the company was not responsible. It had used a laparoscopic surgeon who had excellent qualifications. His CV had been sent to the family.

Cogan said the woman had decided to go to a resort on Kuantan island, which was not part of the Gorgeous Getaways trip, and had not contacted her company for any medical assistance. She collapsed and died at the resort.

The company had since decided not to offer lapband surgery to clients and also no longer has operations at the Kuala Lumpur hospital where the woman had her surgery.

Counties-Manukau head of general surgery Andrew Connolly said hypoglaecemia would be a bizarre and highly rare cause of death.

- © Fairfax NZ News