Ayr Hospital surgeon amputated leg with 'rusty hacksaw'

[TomandJerry]

A hospital surgeon allegedly used a "rusty hacksaw" to amputate a patient's leg after attempting to get a suitable instrument from B&Q.

The Ayr Hospital surgeon was cutting into the pensioner's limb when the knife struck a metal plate in his leg. After B&Q was found to be closed, the operation went ahead with the sterilised saw found in a storage area.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran said it was investigating an incident "where standard procedures were not followed". A health board source said: "An elderly man who was a patient at Crosshouse Hospital needed a leg amputation and was taken to Ayr Hospital for the operation, because that's where the vascular surgeons are based.

"The operating theatre was prepared, he was anaesthetised and the operation began but it was halted after the surgeon had difficulty cutting further.

"That's when he discovered he'd hit a metal plate that they didn't know about. So he frantically sought advice from the consultant orthopaedic surgeon, who suggested going to B&Q."

Simply unbelievable

 

[Bry Nylon]

A hospital surgeon allegedly used a "rusty hacksaw" to amputate a patient's leg after attempting to get a suitable instrument from B&Q.

The Ayr Hospital surgeon was cutting into the pensioner's limb when the knife struck a metal plate in his leg. After B&Q was found to be closed, the operation went ahead with the sterilised saw found in a storage area.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran said it was investigating an incident "where standard procedures were not followed". A health board source said: "An elderly man who was a patient at Crosshouse Hospital needed a leg amputation and was taken to Ayr Hospital for the operation, because that's where the vascular surgeons are based.

"The operating theatre was prepared, he was anaesthetised and the operation began but it was halted after the surgeon had difficulty cutting further.

"That's when he discovered he'd hit a metal plate that they didn't know about. So he frantically sought advice from the consultant orthopaedic surgeon, who suggested going to B&Q."

Simply unbelievable

Agreed. Should have gone to Wickes.

 

[wellquickwoody]

How long till the Tories get blamed..........

 

[lawros left foot]

Bloody Tories!!!

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Why use a rusty hacksaw ? I thought the preferred tool of choice in Scotland was a meat cleaver.

 

[Beach Hut]

Does the OP just look through the BBC web site and start threads on what they think is interesting ?

 

[Bry Nylon]

To be fair, when I first read the thread title I thought the surgeon had been assisted by an American Country and Western singer, which would have been interesting than the actual story.

 

[skipper734]

I wonder what " standard procedure" is for encountering a metal plate, where you weren't expecting one is. In Hospitals I used to deal with they borrowed stuff like that from their maintenance department.

 

[Prince Monolulu]

Rusty hacksaw. You were lucky.

When I were a lad, Dad removed me tonsils wi' a stick from t' woods covered in dog poop. Did we moan? Did we 'eck as like.

Don't know they're born today, all this namby pamby mollycoddling.

 

[Westdene Wonder]

Dont they have a local Homebase?

 

[Bry Nylon]

Dont they have a local Homebase?

If he'd gone to HSS Hire he could have got the hacksaw plus a stump grinder thrown in.

 

[TomandJerry]

Does the OP just look through the BBC web site and start threads on what they think is interesting ?

Not with everything, just love a debate

 

[BN9 BHA]

Stuck in the past in Scotland and still using hand tools, a reciprocating saw from Screwfix would have done the job

 

[lawros left foot]

Rusty hacksaw. You were lucky.

When I were a lad, Dad removed me tonsils wi' a stick from t' woods covered in dog poop. Did we moan? Did we 'eck as like.

Don't know they're born today, all this namby pamby mollycoddling.

Aye,but you tell the kids of today that, and they won't believe you

 

[Barrel of Fun]

TomandJerry, you seem quite keen on starting threads!

Where in the first post (other than the title) was there any mention of a rusty blade?

 

[gregbrighton]

I don't have a problem with this. Twas only a pensioner....

 

[TomandJerry]

I don't have a problem with this. Twas only a pensioner....

A bit unfair old the old chap!

 

[TomandJerry]

TomandJerry, you seem quite keen on starting threads!

Where in the first post (other than the title) was there any mention of a rusty blade?

First line!

A hospital surgeon allegedly used a "rusty hacksaw" to amputate a patient's leg after attempting to get a suitable instrument from B&Q.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

First line!

A hospital surgeon allegedly used a "rusty hacksaw" to amputate a patient's leg after attempting to get a suitable instrument from B&Q.

That's the unknown source, not a direct quote from the NHS.

 

[TomandJerry]

That's the unknown source, not a direct quote from the NHS.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-32865032


"The source added: "The saw was sterilised by soaking in some disinfectant solution and the surgeon proceeded to complete the amputation after cutting through the metal plate.

Scottish Conservatives health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said: "This is simply incredible - an indescribable way to treat any patient.

Ann Gow, the board's interim nurse director, said in a statement: "NHS Ayrshire and Arran is currently conducting a significant adverse event review (SAER) into a recent incident within University Hospital Ayr, where standard procedures were not followed."