The relatives of a woman from the Gold Coast, who passed away due to complications following surgery conducted by Dr. Reza Adib, are demanding accountability and significant reforms after an inquest revealed troubling findings.
The inquest results regarding the death of Rosemarie Campbell were made public on Wednesday. The 62-year-old succumbed at her Gold Coast residence just three days after undergoing her second gastric bypass surgery in February 2022.
In a statement, her family expressed their belief that she should still be alive today, feeling profoundly let down by the medical system. “It is incredibly painful for us to acknowledge: Mum’s death could have been avoided,” they stated.
“She was discharged home while still experiencing nausea and pain, a considerable distance from The Wesley Hospital where she had the procedure, but tragically, she passed away the very next day.” They added, “She deserved the opportunity to return home and age with her family. Instead, we had to bury her.”
Dr. Adib has previously been in a relationship with former Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. In her findings, Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher was highly critical of Dr. Adib’s integrity and raised significant concerns regarding his actions prior to Ms. Campbell’s surgery.
One major issue highlighted was Dr. Adib admitting to providing false information in a letter to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) to enable Ms. Campbell to withdraw her superannuation for the surgery. In the letter, he claimed her surgery was for “life-threatening obesity,” a statement he later acknowledged was untrue during the inquest.
“The one-page letter contains very little that is factual,” the coroner remarked. “I believe Dr. Adib was aware of its inaccuracies when he signed it.”
The coroner characterized this act as an “egregious violation of his duties as a medical professional” due to the misleading nature of the letter.
The ATO has stated that it is aware of the coroner’s findings. In a response to the ABC, an ATO spokesperson mentioned, “Our ongoing regulatory and compliance efforts indicate that there are consequences for observed behaviors within the system.” They added that the ATO is engaged in various compliance initiatives aimed at addressing issues among registered agents, healthcare providers, and individuals, which may result in penalties for false or misleading statements submitted to the ATO.
Additionally, the Deputy State Coroner expressed concerns that Dr. Adib attempted to mislead her by fabricating accounts and exhibiting “blatant” exaggeration while testifying about Ms. Campbell’s pre-operative care. The coroner also criticized the surgeon’s inadequate record-keeping.
“He engaged in significant and intentional exaggeration regarding the quality and extent of the pre-operative care provided to Ms. Campbell, suggesting that his intention was to mislead the investigating coroner,” she noted. “This, combined with his letter to the ATO, indicates a troubling pattern of exaggeration concerning his surgical services, raising further questions about the advice he provided to Ms. Campbell.”
The coroner concluded that Ms. Campbell should not have been discharged from The Wesley Hospital after her surgery, especially as her condition deteriorated. Evidence presented in court revealed that Ms. Campbell had vomited several times.
In her final moments at home, in pain, Ms. Campbell told her husband, Shane, “I think I made a mistake about the surgery.” After requesting a glass of water, she became unresponsive and could not be revived when he returned moments later.
Dr. Adib had been notified of Ms. Campbell’s vomiting but did not follow up with further inquiries. He was also not informed by two nurses that her other vital signs had worsened.
“It should have been recognized that Ms. Campbell was too unwell to be discharged from the hospital,” the coroner’s report stated. “If Dr. Adib had been made aware of her concerning symptoms and had examined her, it appears he would not have agreed to her discharge, and she would have been evaluated for her complaints.”
The coroner determined that had Ms. Campbell not been discharged, she “would have survived.” Ultimately, she concluded that her death was caused by acute bacterial peritonitis, pneumonia, and recent gastric bypass surgery.
Ms. Campbell’s family expressed feelings of insufficient accountability, stating, “It seems that no one involved in Mum’s care has genuinely accepted their role in what transpired.” They added, “No amount of words can undo the loss of a beloved mother, grandmother, partner, sister, and friend. We cannot recover the years taken from us or the memories she should have created with her children and grandchildren.”
Since the inquest, The Wesley Hospital has made enhancements to its discharge protocols, vital signs monitoring, and nursing training related to recovery from bariatric surgery. The family expressed hope that true accountability will follow these findings, leading to meaningful reforms to protect other patients from experiencing a similar tragedy.
As of now, The Wesley Hospital has not responded to inquiries from the ABC regarding the specific changes implemented since Ms. Campbell’s death or whether it has conducted its own investigation. Dr. Adib has also been approached for comments.
The coroner, however, did not issue any formal recommendations.
