A state coroner has found that mistakes made by a Raffles Hospital urologist during a kidney tumour operation likely contributed to the death of a 63-year-old patient in 2022.
The patient, a mother of two, had been admitted to the hospital in the early hours of April 28, 2022, after noticing blood in her urine and experiencing vomiting. A CT scan revealed a 7.5cm growth on her left kidney, prompting urologist Fong Yan Kit to recommend a keyhole surgery the next day to remove the tumour.
During the operation, Fong accidentally severed major blood vessels — the superior mesenteric artery and coeliac trunk — instead of the intended renal arteries. Post-surgery, the patient complained of abdominal bloating, nausea, and pain, which persisted despite reassurances from the surgeon.
Only on May 1, after her condition worsened and her blood pressure dropped, did Fong order a CT scan and call a vascular interventional radiologist. Emergency surgery revealed that her digestive organs were already showing signs of insufficient blood supply. Surgeons determined she would not survive the procedure required to repair the arteries, and she passed away the following day.
The coroner noted that Fong did not mention the mistake in his initial medical report, and even his subsequent report avoided acknowledging the severed arteries. Expert testimony indicated that the misidentification of the vessels was unlikely, as the renal and mesenteric arteries are anatomically distinct.
Coroner Adam Nakhoda concluded that the death was avoidable if the error had been identified earlier and immediate corrective measures taken. He described Fong’s failure to recognise the problem during a 13-minute pause in surgery and his lack of prompt intervention as “incomprehensible.”
The coroner classified the death as a medical misadventure, ruling out foul play, and recommended that surgeons verify and review surgical plans when unexpected anatomical differences arise. Fong’s profile has since been removed from Raffles Hospital’s urology department webpage.
