Anthony da Mota Longo died the day after his 25th birthday and from gastric bypass surgery, a technique that involved modifying the food circuit after reducing the volume of the stomach. Anthony had been morbidly obese since his teens. Athlete, rugby player at Biganos, he had long matured his decision. “He was a lively boy. For him this operation meant reviving. I myself had been operated on. I had to help him, advise him after the operation. Instead, we buried him. It’s very difficult, “testified her aunt, in tears at the bar.
No place for the clinic
Anthony da Mota Longo was admitted to the health center on November 15, 2015. The operation took place on the 16 and went well. But, in the night, complications appear. The young man vomits blood. Monitoring is in place. The surgeon decides to do a CT scan on the morning of the 17th, then a fibroscopy, the caregivers suspect the presence of a clot. During the fibroscopy, Anthony dies of cardiac arrest from lack of oxygenation.
His family is filing a complaint. A judicial investigation is opened, a medical report is ordered. Once under scrutiny, the Arcachon clinic, the surgeon and an anesthetist nurse benefit from a layoff. But not the two anesthetists, partners with a liberal contract with the clinic, who intervened during the emergency fibroscopy. The first is called when the operation has begun, Anthony has been anesthetized by a nurse and starts spitting blood. The doctor makes the decision about a nasotracheal intubation – unsuitable for the situation, he will conclude the investigation – and quickly leaves the room, taken by other interventions.
“The worst day of my career”
Endoscopy continues but, very quickly, Anthony’s condition worsens. The second anesthetist is requested. He withdraws the probe placed by his partner, places a new one through his mouth. Did he check that he was well positioned? He says yes, but the file doesn’t show it and a nurse says no. A few minutes later, Anthony’s heart slows to a halt. The anesthetist attempts resuscitation. Ten times the recommended dose of a drug is injected into the patient, who dies in the block. The overdose will then be deleted from the file at the request of the resuscitator.
“Antonio died from a cascade of failures”, punishes MAnd Cazabonne-Pesse, the lawyer of the civil parties. “What we blame these two doctors for is not being able to handle an emergency. They were probably too busy with other patients, ”the prosecutor reproached. “This day of November 17th 2015 is the worst of my career. It should never have happened. But I had not been informed in advance of this surgery. Neither the surgeon nor the nurses ”, defends one of the accused.
