Politics
Thursday August 10, 2006
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
British Woman Died of Internal Bleeding After IVF Procedure
By Peter J. Smith
LEICESTER, England, August 10, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A British hospital has launched a probe into the death of a British woman, who passed away on Monday from surgical complications resulting from an egg harvesting operation during her in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. The woman apparently suffered massive internal bleeding after the needle used to extract her eggs punctured one of the major arteries around her ovaries.
According to The Sun, a British news journal, a spokesman for the Leicester Royal Infirmary confirmed: “A woman patient died on the gynecology ward after undergoing IVF in the Assisted Conception Unit. The circumstances of her death are the subject of an investigation and details will be passed to the coroner.”
The woman, whose identity remains anonymous per request of her family, last week underwent the IVF procedure at the hospital, and was released after treatment. Later she was rushed back to the hospital and died Monday after internally bleeding to death.
A member of the hospital’s staff told The Sun: “The woman had IVF egg retrieval last week. Some complication occurred which led to severe bleeding. She was admitted to a ward with renal complications and died on Monday.”
“It’s tragic. I’ve never heard of a death occurring after this procedure,” said Dr Allan Pacey of the British Fertility Society according to The Sun. “The needle probably punctured a large blood vessel in or around the ovaries. This would cause very severe bleeding.”
During egg extraction procedures, doctors insert a needle into a woman’s ovary through the side of the vagina, with the help of ultrasound imaging. Patients are usually discharged the same day, but if internal bleeding is not detected, massive complications may result.
The recent British woman’s death has IVF defenders very quick to point out that women undergoing the procedure very rarely experience death. The main cause of death linked to IVF is a syndrome called ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS), which some claim affects up to 6 per cent of women and is caused by an adverse reaction to IVF drugs. In the United Kingdom, there are at least 5 recorded deaths from these drugs, and in the United States at least 25 deaths, according to the Family Research Council.
According to the Times Online, last year’s IVF victim was Temilola Akinbolagbe, 33, from Plumstead, south London, who died of a heart attack following IVF treatment at King’s College Hospital. Doctors revealed that her death was brought about by OHSS through an abnormal reaction to the hormonal drugs used to promote egg growth.
Mark Hamilton, chairman of the British Fertility Society, said: “The BFS is sorry to hear of this tragic death and our sympathy is extended to the family. Worldwide more than three million babies have been born as a result of IVF. In the UK over 30,000 women receive IVF treatment each year and more than 10,000 children are born as a result. The procedures used in clinics are very safe and serious complications for patients are extremely rare.”
IVF procedures have recently drawn the attention of both pro-family, pro-woman, and some radical feminist groups, since many scientists have pushed for human cloning for embryonic stem-cell research. This procedure would create a demand for women to donate their eggs, or, as more recent news has suggested, to sell them, and could lead to a large increase in complications already recorded from IVF treatment.
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- UK Bishops’ Document on Homosexuality Praised by Prominent Anti-Catholic Homosexualist
- Abortionist Pleads No Contest to Felonies, Faces up to 10 Years in Jail
- Unprecedented Restrictions Placed on Religious, Political Clubs at Lakehead University
- Bush Interview: "I Didn't Sell my Soul for Politics"
- Life Prizes Announces Winners of $600,000 Pro-Life Award
- Author of French "Right to Die" Law Opposes Efforts to Legalize Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
- Purchase of Christmas Music CD By Pro-Life Priest is Great Way to Support LifeSiteNews
- Another Priest Urges Confession for Catholics who Voted for Pro-Abortion Obama
- Australian Health Minister Fires Men’s Health Ambassador for Documenting Risks of Homosexuality
- IKEA’s Polish Catalogue Introduces “Ian and Steve” as a Model of the New Family
- Abortion Increases Women's Mental Health Problems: New Study
- Conservative Attorney General Seeks to Quash Morgentaler Order of Canada Challenge
Most Read this Week
- Behind the Scenes of Volition: Coincidences and Startling Circumstances
- Ad Showing Woman Seducing Santa Promotes Free Morning-After Pills and Condoms for Christmas
- Belgian Couple Sells Baby on EBay
- Leading Canadian Pro-Life MP Relates Shocking 20 Year Lack of Support From Catholic Clergy
- Naming the Anti-Life Appointments in the Obama Administration
- Cardinal on Biblical Condemnation of Homosexuality: We're Not Allowed the Cowardice of "Politically Correct" Silence
- Film Review: Volition
- A Painful, Disease-Ridden Death Isn’t So Bad if You’re Just a White, Heterosexual Male
- Just In Time for Christmas - Gift Cards for Abortions from Planned Parenthood
- Abortion Now Number One Cause of Death in Spain
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.