- Maria Barnard, consultant in diabetes and endocrinology, Whittington Hospital NHS Trust, London N19 5NF, UK
- maria.barnard1{at}nhs.net
A year ago, my friend David died. He loved books, music, art, and travel, and he was a dab hand at using the internet. He was admitted for elective resection of a rectal carcinoma. Postoperatively he developed bilateral pneumonia, acute kidney injury, and sepsis. He died 11 days postoperatively aged 87 years. At his funeral, one of his close friends said, “He should never have had that operation … never.” I wonder whether she was right.
Society worries about the growing medical and care …
Sign in
Article access
Article access for 1 day
Purchase this article for £20 $30 €32*
The PDF version can be downloaded as your personal record
PDF
Social bookmarking