Indian-origin surgeon Jayant Patel had correctly diagnosed the cause of bleeding in a 75-year-old patient who died after surgery,an Australian court was told today. Patel,62,the former Bundaberg Base Hospital director of surgery,has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of Mervyn Morris,who died at the hospital in 2003. He is facing the manslaughter trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court. The court was given evidence for Patel's defence today. A gastroenterologist Johan van den Bogaerde told the court that he had analysed patient Morris's medical notes and concluded Patel had correctly formed the view that the bleeding was caused by diverticular disease,AAP news agency reported. He said it was "very unlikely" the profuse dark blood was caused by radiation proctitis,which the Crown alleges was the correct diagnosis. Van den Bogaerde said radiation proctitis generally caused bright red blood and that he had "never" seen a patient with radiation proctitis presenting symptoms similar to those Morris had when he came to hospital in May 2003. Morris had died of complications after Patel removed part of his colon in an attempt to address rectal bleeding. The Crown has alleged that Patel inappropriately operated on Morris after misdiagnosing his bleeding from the bowel. Patel has denied any link between the operation and Morris's death.
