Close call: Patient speaks out about her 'dramatic surgery', when operating table began spilling smoke

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

A 66-year-old woman is speaking out about her "dramatic surgery" after the operating table she was lying on started "spilling with smoke" at a private Auckland Hospital.

The incident occurred at Mercy Hospital in Epsom - which is owned by Mercy Ascot - about 4pm last Wednesday.

Coralie, who survived to tell the tale but did not want to use her last name, said she wasn't told what happened until the next morning but "wasn't one to panic" and was just thankful staff were able to manage the incident accordingly.

The incident occurred about 30 minutes into surgery when smoke began to billow from the operating table, she said.

Coralie - who was under general anaesthetic at the time - was moved onto another operating table and the surgery continued while other staff attended to the smoke and called 111 for Fire and Emergency.

Despite the disruption, Coralie's surgery was a success and she walked away uninjured.

"When the surgeon told me, he said it didn't happen very often and he assured me that they responded quickly and obviously I'm okay," Coralie said.

The former teacher told the Herald it was her first day of retirement when she went in for her second operation to repair a tendon in her shoulder.

"Nothing like a bit of drama to start retirement," she said.

Ian England, chief executive of Mercy Ascot told the Herald staff saw the smoke coming from the bottom of the operating table just after the patient had gone under.

"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.

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.

Coralie said hospital staff rang her husband immediately after the incident and she understood three fire engines attended because it was a hospital call out.

She said they were both the type "not to panic" and weren't that upset.

"As far as I'm concerned they did everything they could to ensure no harm was done."

An investigation - led by an external engineering company contracted to Auckland District Health Board- has been launched into the incident as the direct cause has not yet been determined.