Lipo patient 'heavily bruised'

2004-03-16 23:34

Liela Magnus

Pretoria - The woman who died a day after a liposuction operation was found to have been seriously bruised from below her breasts to her knees when she was admitted to Pretoria East Hospital.

She was also found to have had numerous blood blisters on her body, Pretoria regional court was told on Tuesday.

Petronella Christina Susanna Jansen van Rensburg died after two massive heart attacks on May 12 2001, a day after liposuction treatment.

Dr Alida van der Hoven, a pathologist, testified that a combination of three complications linked to liposuction led to Jansen van Rensburg's death.

Dr Jan van Almenkerk, 62, removed fat from Jansen van Rensburg's legs, stomach and back the day before her death. He earlier pleaded not guilty to charges of culpable homicide.

Debra Schreuder, an accident unit nurse at Pretoria East Hospital, said Jansen van Rensburg had a normal pulse when admitted.

However, she became disorientated, pale, cold and clammy. She said Jansen van Rensburg had "abnormal" bruising on her body.

'Two litres of blood under her skin'

According to her, there should not have been so much bruising if the liposuction operation been done properly.

She said her husband was a plastic surgeon and that was how she knew about bruising.

Jansen van Rensburg's daughter, Franelyn Hoffmeyer, took her mother to Pretoria East Hospital after she had complained of severe pain. She also could not urinate.

Dr Willi Sieling, a physician at the hospital, said he suspected Jansen van Rensburg was having circulation problems. He said there had been about two litres of blood collected under her skin.

He said Jansen van Rensburg had been in shock and her blood pressure had been very low. Her heartbeat had also been erratic. Soon after being admitted to the high-care unit, she died.

According to Van Almenkerk's explanation, Jansen van Rensburg died because she had not been correctly diagnosed and treated at the hospital.

- Beeld