The death of a woman suffering with acute pancreatitis after two operations were cancelled because she had head lice may not have been prevented even if surgery had gone ahead as planned, an inquest heard.
Mother of three Lindsay Swanson, of New Parks, Leicester, died of multiple organ failure in the high dependency unit of the city's General Hospital on June 6, last year.
The 34-year-old had been diagnosed with the life-threatening condition, caused by gallstones, on October 26, 2012.
But at a pre-operative assessment on February 20, last year, with surgery scheduled within six weeks, the operation was cancelled after the discovery of head lice, which increased the risk of infection, and a high heart rate.
A second operation to remove the gallstones was cancelled for similar reasons on March 20.
Consultant Giuseppe Garcea, a specialist in treating pancreatitis, gave evidence today, on the second day of an inquest at Leicester Town Hall.
He oversaw Ms Swanson's care after she was transferred to the General from Leicester Royal Infirmary, on May 3, where she had been admitted to A&E with severe abdominal pains on April 1.
The inquest earlier heard that 20 per cent of pancreatitis sufferers have the severe form which Ms Swanson had.
Mr Garcea said: "There is no specific cure for pancreatitis. Fifty per cent of patients with this severe form of the disease will die."
When asked if an operation in the October when Ms Swanson was diagnosed would have altered the eventual outcome, Mr Garcea replied: "No".
He said that in such severe cases, where the pancreas was so badly damaged, it was likely that the acute pancreatitis would have returned.
Ms Swanson's mother, who was in court, said: "Why wasn't the family told that Lindsay was in the 20 per cent bracket?
"No-one told us until right at the very end when she was in the high dependence unit."
Ms Swanson's multiple organ failure was caused by pancreatitis following a rapid deterioration in her condition in the final few weeks.
The inquest is expected to be concluded tomorrow.
