Boy, 3, in hospital for ‘easy surgical procedure’ died after trainee ‘punctured’ him

Aarav’s parents have said knowing his death was preventable had appropriate actions been taken makes it even harder for them to accept, as a coroner brands the hospital ‘negligent’

An “adorable” toddler suffered a “prolonged” cardiac arrest and died after a trainee medic made a mistake in a procedure, an inquest was told.

Aarav Chopra, 3, endured a “prolonged” death after blood accumulated in his chest cavity, leading to his death on November 22, 2023. Aarav, from Wolverhampton, had a liver transplant, but due to his body rejecting it, was back at Birmingham Children’s Hospital for further examination.

During what should have been a straightforward liver biopsy, a trainee doctor accidentally punctured an artery with the needle, an inquest heard. His devastated parents spoke up following the inquest, expressing they “never expected he would never come home” after those routine checks.

The inquest came to the conclusion that Aarav’s death was “contributed to by neglect” on the part of the hospital as his condition remained “undiagnosed and untreated” throughout the procedure.

The young boy succumbed to severe brain damage while medics battled for nearly half an hour to revive him.

Birmingham’s Senior Coroner Louise Hunt released a report aimed at preventing future tragedies. Hunt criticised the “poor planning” by the medical team ahead of the biopsy and has demanded that Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust explain how they plan to prevent such incidents in the future.

Her report pointed out the “poor” communication and the “confusion around the experience of the trainee doctor performing the biopsy” as the inquest revealed that the trainee was less experienced than initially believed, being only in year four of training rather than year six.

Coroner Hunt expressed her concerns that an internal review following Aarav’s untimely death concluded “there was no immediate learning from this tragedy.”

To add to the family’s distress, Aarav’s parents were not informed that a trainee would be conducting the biopsy on their child, reports BirminghamLive.

In a heart-wrenching joint statement, Aarav’s grieving parents Kishore and Amrita Chopra shared: “Aarav was the most courageous little boy. He was a happy soul with the most beautiful smile and adorable laugh. We will forever be proud of him for overcoming all the challenges he faced.

“His liver transplant was supposed to be a new beginning, a chance for him to live a better life. When he went into the hospital for tests, we never expected that he would never come home. For over 12 months, we raised concerns with the hospital about what we believed was a lack of clarity and transparency surrounding Aarav’s death.

“The hospital’s lack of accountability has completely shattered our trust. Aarav’s death is a loss that will stay with us forever. There is a void and emptiness in our lives that will never be filled. Knowing that Aarav’s death was preventable had appropriate action been taken makes the situation even harder to accept.”

Mrs Hunt lamented that if Aarav’s “haemothorax been addressed at the time of the procedure Aarav would likely have been monitored and treated before the cardiac arrest.”

Dr Satish Rao, top doc at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We offer our sincere condolences to Aarav’s family and loved ones.”

He admitted the care fell short, saying: “It’s clear from the findings of this inquest, along with those from an investigation conducted by the Trust last year, that the standard of care provided did not meet those expected and, for this, we are truly sorry.”

Following the inquest and their own 2024 review, the Trust has tweaked its procedures to boost patient care.