Anesthesiologist found guilty of girl’s death in routine surgery

A three-member Court of Misdemeanors in eastern Crete found an anesthesiologist guilty for the death of a four-year-old girl who died during an adenoidectomy in December 2015.

The anesthesiologist was handed a suspended sentence of 18 months in prison, after the court accepted mitigating factors for the accused.

The girl was admitted to Venizelio Hospital in Iraklio on 28 December for a scheduled adenoidectomy. During the surgery she developed complications and was admitted to the hospital’s ICU. 

At the trial, the prosecutor said the accused waited 20 minutes from the moment the child developed bronchospasm to act and when she did, she followed the wrong treatment. Instead of administering bronchodilators, according to the protocol, she administered an overdose of adrenaline, which caused serious damage to the heart. 

It was the wrong actions of the anesthesiologist that led to the death of the girl, the prosecutor concluded and asked for a guilty verdict. 

Upon hearing the ruling on Monday, the father of the 4-year-old girl burst into tears, saying that the fight he fought for so many years with his family “has been vindicated” but “it was not a victory” since his child “is not coming back.”

The anesthesiologist’s defense said they would appeal against the ruling.