A MOTHER has spoken of her son s complete devastation after he lost the love of his life when an operation to reduce her excessive sweating went terribly wrong. Although Ian Field had been estranged from his wife Louise shortly before she died, he had s

A MOTHER has spoken of her son's complete devastation after he lost the "love of his life" when an operation to reduce her excessive sweating went terribly wrong.

Although Ian Field had been estranged from his wife Louise shortly before she died, he had stayed in touch with her and was hopeful of reconciliation.

Mrs Field, 27, died two days after a surgeon pumped carbon dioxide into her stomach instead of her lung, the General Medical Council (GMC) heard this week.

Consultant surgeon Dr Michael Ormiston from St Albans and anaesthetist Dr Wasfy Yanny from Harpenden are alleged to have made a series of blunders during the operation to cure Mrs Field's overactive sweat glands.

She died from a lack of blood supply to the brain caused by damage to her lungs.

The pair face a catalogue of charges arising from the operation at the BUPA Hospital, Harpenden, now the Spire Hospital, on March 20, 2002.

Adored

Mr and Mrs Field lived in High Street, Wheatham-pstead, before Louise moved out to live in Harpenden.

Ian's mother Christine Field, 70, of Butterfield Road, Wheathampstead said her son - a carpenter with Jarvis Builders - had been due to be married when he met Louise on a stag night. The couple hit it off and married two years later in 1988.

Christine said: "We all went to Jamaica for the wedding. Ian adored her - she really was the love of his life. He would have done anything for her."

She went on: "Louise was such a sportswoman. She had been training to be an accountant when she decided to undergo the op. Ian never wanted her to have it.

"He was in a terrible state when she died. It is only very recently that he has been able to let go of some of Louise's things but I think he still has some."

The GMC has been hearing that Dr Ormiston, who had carried out the operation a handful of times, first punctured the keen sportswoman's lung with a needle then pumped carbon dioxide into her stomach.

Dr Yanny then failed to note her plummeting oxygen levels, it is claimed.

During the procedure surgeons had to deflate each of Mrs Field's lungs to reach a nerve behind the ribs.

Mrs Field did not wake up after the operation so was transferred to Hemel Hempstead Hospital's intensive care unit.

It is claimed both doctors failed to tell the family or staff at the second hospital about the risk of brain damage.

She was later transferred to a specialist neurological hospital in London where tests revealed she was brain dead as a result of the operation.

Her husband agreed that her life support machine should be switched off on March 22, 2002.

Dr Ormiston, of Abbey Mill End, and Dr Yanni, of Penny Croft, face a total of 42 charges relating to the operation.

It is claimed their conduct was inappropriate, not in the best interest of the patient and below the standard expected of a medical practitioner.

The hearing continues.