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Nurse's Nightmare: Post-Surgery Wounds Turn Deadly
13 Nov
Summary
- Nurse developed severe wounds, infection after routine surgery.
- Delayed treatment raises fears of life-threatening infection.
- Province approves out-of-province transfer for critical therapy.
A Winnipeg nurse, Emma Cloney, has spent over three weeks hospitalized at Health Sciences Centre following surgery on October 20 to treat her chronic lipedema. The procedure resulted in severe wound complications, including necrotic tissue and a developing infection.
Cloney, who also lives with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, described being bedbound due to the painful, open wounds. She expressed significant concern about the risk of a life-threatening infection, which developed on Wednesday. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was identified as a potential treatment to accelerate healing.
Manitoba Health has since approved one-time coverage for Cloney's transportation and requested treatment outside the province, as medical-grade hyperbaric therapy is not available in Winnipeg. She had previously undergone specialized liposuction in the US and Germany for her condition, as such high-volume procedures are not offered in Canada.
Dr. Kaitlin Cyr, a family physician specializing in lipedema, noted a significant knowledge gap regarding the condition in Canadian medical education. This lack of disease-specific expertise at institutions like Health Sciences Centre leaves patients like Cloney feeling unsafe and underserved.
