Coroner finds discharged patient unlikely to have died if she remained hospitalised

A Gold Coast woman who died from post-operative complications three days after gastric bypass surgery likely would have survived had she not been discharged from hospital, an inquest has concluded.

Rosemarie Campbell died at her home in February 2022, just 36 hours after being sent home from The Wesley Hospital in Brisbane where she had undergone the weight-loss procedure. The coronial inquest, conducted over three days in August 2025, heard testimony from hospital nursing staff, medical experts, and the surgeon who performed the operation.

Discharge decision scrutinised

The inquest revealed that Ms Campbell began experiencing nausea the evening after her surgery on 24 February 2022. Despite these warning signs, she was discharged at midday the following day.

Evidence presented to the court indicated that the decision to discharge the patient did not adequately account for her post-operative symptoms or follow appropriate discharge protocols for patients recovering from bariatric surgery.

The coroner found that Ms Campbell was unlikely to have died if she had not been discharged from hospital

Surgeon's background noted

The surgeon who performed the gastric bypass, Dr Vahid Reza Adib, appeared before the inquest to give evidence. Dr Adib has been in a relationship with former Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, a detail that attracted public attention to the case.

The coronial findings represent a significant examination of surgical discharge practices at a major private hospital in Queensland and raise broader questions about post-operative care standards in the Australian healthcare system.

Hospital implements changes

Following the inquest findings, The Wesley Hospital has taken corrective action. The facility has implemented improvements across several critical areas including:

• Enhanced discharge criteria for patients undergoing bariatric procedures
• Revised vital signs monitoring procedures
• Expanded nurse training on recovery protocols specific to weight-loss surgery

These changes reflect the hospital's response to the coroner's findings and represent attempts to prevent similar incidents in future.

Broader implications for patient safety

The case highlights the importance of rigorous post-operative assessment before discharge, particularly for complex surgical procedures such as gastric bypass. Bariatric surgery carries inherent risks of serious complications including infection, bleeding, and nutritional deficiencies, making careful monitoring in the immediate post-operative period essential.

Ms Campbell's death adds to ongoing discussions about patient safety standards in Australian private hospitals and the adequacy of discharge protocols across the healthcare sector.

Source: ABC News