Close call: Operating tables spills smoke while patient is under

Staff spotted smoke coming from an operating table while a patient was under. Photo / 123RF

A patient had a close call when an operating table they were having surgery on started "spilling with smoke" at an Auckland hospital.

An external investigation has been launched into the incident at Mercy Hospital in Epsom last Wednesday at 4pm, with the direct cause still unknown.

Staff saw the smoke coming from the bottom of the operating table just after the patient had gone under, Ian England, chief executive of Mercy Ascot - which own the private hospital - told the Herald.

"They followed their usual procedures, which meant they switch the patient to a new table and wheeled the old table out to an empty theatre before squirting the fire extinguisher and calling the fire brigade.

"There was no harm to the patient and the operation continued as planned. The patient was discharged on schedule and there was no impact," England said.

A Fire and Emergency spokesman said they attended the incident on Mountain Rd.

The executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, Ian Powell, said the incident was "very rare" but of course it was a concern. He was pleased it had been handled well and was being investigated.

Powell said he had not heard of an operating table catching fire but he had heard of incidents where other equipment had caught light due to different substances mixing.

"Again, that is very rare but it does happen," Powell said.

The investigation was being led by an external engineering company contracted to Auckland District Health Board.

England said he did not know when the investigation would conclude but imagined it would take some time.

"What I can say is that I am very proud of my staff in the way the responded and followed procedures, I will be congratulating them after Christmas," England said.