Open heart surgery patient dies from bacterial infection ten years after operation

A coroner has warned heart surgery patients to be aware of a potentially life-threatening infection after a forklift driver died ten years after undergoing an operation.

Clinton Fear died last year, having contracted a bacterial infection through a machine used to warm or cool patients during his open heart surgery back in 2012.

Mr Fear, who died at the age of 59, only started showing symptoms of the infection five years after surgery, in the form of night sweats.

One to two years later, he was diagnosed with the illness and began treatment for three years before sadly dying in July 2022.

Respiratory failure

The illness, Mycobacterium Chimaera infection, exists in soil, dust and water and, when contracted, can lead to respiratory failure.

During Mr Fear’s surgery, a machine that controls body temperatures by circulating water via lines was used, leading to him contracting the infection.

Symptoms of the disease can take years to emerge so the coroner warned of other patients who were not notified at the time, and may not be aware of the risk.

Assistant Area Coroner, Dr Simon Fox KC, said in a prevention of future deaths report that action should be taken to warn patients who underwent open heart surgery before 2013 of the fatal risk.

He added: “Patients who have contracted Mycobacterium Chimaera infection from surgery before January 2013 may be suffering a delay in diagnosis and consequent harm as a result of a lack of notification due to the existing guidelines.”

Patient risk notification

The infection became known in 2015 but only patients who underwent surgery after 2013 were made aware of the risks.

Mr Fear died at Southmead Hospital Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol.

The report said: “Mr Fear contracted his Mycobacterium Chimaera infection at surgery before January 2013 and other cases have been reported from surgery dating back to at least 2008.”

“There appears to be no current basis for maintaining a start date of surgery in January 2013 for patient risk notification when there is evidence of infection substantially earlier than this date.”

Coroner Fox sent the report to the UK Health Security Agency, urging them to take action to prevent further deaths.