Woman dies following IVF treatment

A UK woman who died in hospital five days after undergoing egg retrieval - a routine element of IVF treatment - suffered a fatal blood clot, an inquest heard last week. Coroner Mario Anastasiades ruled that the death of the 37-year-old driving instructor Nina Thanki, who was undergoing her third round of IVF treatment at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, was 'accidental'; resulting from 'a maze' of medical problems.

The doctors treating Mrs Thanki made a decision to keep her in hospital as a precaution after she bled during the procedure. Over the next five days Mrs Thanki suffered various medical complications, including fluid retention which caused her to balloon from her normal size 10 to a size 18.

Mrs Thanki had a long-term history of endometriosis, a medical condition which over time had caused a mass of scar tissue to form in her pelvis, restricting the blood flow and causing the deep vein thrombosis (DVT) that, after lodging in her in her lungs, ultimately caused her death.

In light of this case, British Fertility Society chairman Dr Mark Hamilton is one of many IVF experts to have stressed the low risks associated with IVF - a treatment used by 30,000 UK women each year and resulting in 10,000 births. 'The procedures used in clinics are very safe and serious complications are extremely rare,' he said.

In a statement after the hearing, husband Mr Thanki said: 'Nina Thanki was a happy 37-year-old woman desperate to have a baby. Her family members have found it very difficult to come to terms with her sudden and untimely death. They have been plagued by numerous questions since her death. This inquest has answered some of those questions.'

After the hearing, a spokeswoman from the Leicester Royal Infirmary expressed her condolences towards Mrs Thanki's family, emphasising the 'tragic and unexpected' nature of her death. 'We have performed over 5,000 egg retrievals since 1989 and over 800 babies have been born as a result,' she said.

Mr Thanki's solicitors have said that legal action against the hospital has not been ruled out.