A PENSIONER caught a flesh-eating disease and died after a surgeon accidentally perforated his bowel.

Raymond Gardner developed necrotising fasciitis at Oxford’s Churchill Hospital after an initial operation to remove his gall bladder.

The 72-year-old from Wolvercote died on February 25, 2010.

An inquest into his death at Oxford Coroner’s Court yesterday heard Mr Gardner was obese and also had diabetes and leukaemia at the time. On February 23 surgeon Zahir Soonawalla started a keyhole procedure to removal the gall bladder, but found Mr Gardner’s internal organs were stuck together and so reverted to an ‘open’ operation.

The surgeon told the inquest he did not know how the bowel became perforated but said one of his fingers or the keyhole camera could have been to blame.

The following day Mr Gardner was taken to intensive care under the guidance of Dr Peter Watkinson.

Following a scan, the patient was operated on by Srikanth Reddy who removed the leaking part of Mr Gardner’s bowel and sealed the two open ends in preparation for a more permanent operation at a later date. Dr Watkinson said necrotising fasciitis was diagnosed at lunchtime the following day, the day Mr Gardner died.

Coroner Nicholas Gardiner recorded a verdict of accidental death.