Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine

Medical negligence is a broad term which came to light due to development in Forensic Medicine; it has now become the duty of the Forensic Pathologist to explore and maintain the transparency between the doctors, patients and the law, in order to bring a high degree of standard in the ethical aspects of medical practice. In the present case, a patient who is alleged to have been diagnosed with gall bladder stone, was posted for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. She was given general anaesthesia and operation started, but soon after she developed bradycardia and collapsed on the OT table. She could not be revived and died. Later on, her body was brought to our hospital for post-mortem examination. It was found that the cause of death was haemorrhagic shock due to haemoperitoneum as a result of laparoscopic puncture of left lobe of liver. All events and history regarding case were given by the autopsy surgeon to police. Deceased's relatives were completely in dark about what exactly had happened. Moreover, they were told by the police not to get the post-mortem examination done as according to the surgeon told them that she died before starting of the surgery.

Importance of meticulous autopsy by a forensic expert is indispensable in such cases. It was only through postmortem examination that the exact cause of death could be confirmed and medical negligence established. In this way only, justice could be conferred to patient's relatives. Could doctrine of res ipsa loquitur be applied to operating doctor?