Coroner finds delayed response and unaddressed surgical error contributed to patient’s death
A routine cancer procedure turned fatal after critical surgical mistakes went uncorrected, raising serious questions about accountability, transparency, and patient safety in private healthcare settings.
Surgery That Went Fatally Wrong
A 63-year-old woman died in May 2022 following a botched kidney tumor removal at Raffles Hospital, with a state coroner later ruling the death avoidable. During a coroner’s inquiry concluded in November 2025, it was revealed that the operating urologist, Dr. Fong Yan Kit, mistakenly severed major blood vessels unrelated to the kidney and failed to take timely corrective action.
The patient, a mother of two, first arrived at the hospital in the early hours of April 28, 2022, after experiencing blood in her urine and vomiting. A CT scan later revealed a 7.5-centimeter tumor in her left kidney, and she consented to a keyhole surgery scheduled the following day.
Post-Surgery Red Flags Ignored
Following the April 29 procedure, the patient complained of persistent bloating, nausea, and abdominal discomfort. Despite these symptoms continuing over the next two days, she was reassured that bloating was normal after surgery. Her condition worsened significantly on May 1, when her blood pressure dropped and severe abdominal pain returned.
An urgent CT scan and ICU admission were only ordered several hours later. By then, further investigations revealed extensive internal damage, including severe gas buildup and a distended colon, prompting emergency referrals to multiple specialists.
Critical Arteries Severed
It was eventually discovered that the patient’s superior mesenteric artery and coeliac trunk, both essential for supplying blood to digestive organs, had been severed during the initial surgery. Emergency surgery began at 3 p.m. on May 1, but surgeons found that her stomach, colon, and small intestine were already suffering from irreversible blood deprivation.
The surgical team determined that reconnecting the arteries would require hours and that the patient would not survive the operation. The procedure was abandoned, and she died at 3:05 a.m. on May 2, 2022.
Medical Reports Omitted Key Facts
State Coroner Adam Nakhoda criticized Dr. Fong for failing to disclose the surgical error in his initial medical report. A subsequent hospital report also avoided directly stating that the wrong arteries had been cut. Dr. Fong maintained that bleeding was a known risk and claimed the arteries may have been displaced due to the tumor.
However, expert witness Dr. Christopher Cheng, a senior consultant urologist from Singapore General Hospital, stated that CT scans would have identified any anatomical variations. He also noted that the arteries severed were larger and anatomically distinct from renal arteries.
Missed Opportunity to Correct the Error
Video footage from the surgery showed Dr. Fong pausing for 13 minutes after severing the arteries. According to Dr. Cheng, there was no visible attempt to identify a pulsating renal artery or seek a second opinion during this critical window.
The coroner stated that any reasonably competent surgeon would have realized that too many major vessels unrelated to the kidney had been cut. He described the failure to verify the mistake, order immediate imaging, or call in a vascular surgeon as inexcusable.
Death Deemed Avoidable
Coroner Nakhoda concluded that the patient’s death could have been prevented if the mistake had been recognized earlier and promptly addressed. He ruled the case a medical misadventure and excluded foul play but emphasized the importance of surgeons pausing and reassessing when surgical conditions differ from expectations.
At the time of publication, Dr. Fong’s profile is no longer listed on Raffles Hospital’s urology department website.
This case underscores the life-and-death consequences of delayed accountability and inadequate response during surgical complications. For both Indonesia and Singapore, where private healthcare plays a significant role, the ruling reinforces the need for stronger clinical governance, transparent reporting, and swift intervention when errors occur.
Sources: Mothership (2026) , Straits Times (2026)
Keywords: Raffles Hospital Case, Kidney Surgery Error, Medical Misadventure, Surgical Negligence, Coroner Inquiry
