A SPRIGHTLY great-grandmother died following an operation with a 99.9 per cent success rate, an inquest heard.

Grandmother-of-four Mildred Moores, of St Clements Court, Hobson Street, Macclesfield, died on March 7, 2008 at Macclesfield District General Hospital, aged 87.

Described by her daughter-in-law Christine Moores as a sprightly lady, she had been taken into hospital two days earlier after suffering from abdominal pains.

The inquest at Macclesfield Town Hall heard how an internal operation to remove a suspected gall stone caused a small tear, resulting in an infection.

Dr Peter Foster, who told the coroner he had carried out the operation well over a thousand times, said: "It was difficult to obtain an angle of approach. During the procedure I did notice that there may have been perforation of the bowel due to the manipulation of the scope."

A surgeon at Macclesfield hospital, Dr Saumitra Rawat, told the inquest that an attempt to repair the tear failed to heal and prevent the spread of infection.

Pathologist Dr Hiam Ali, said: "In my opinion the cause of death was due to septicaemia, due to peritonitis, following an abdominal operation."

Recording a verdict of death by misadventure, Coroner for Cheshire, Nicholas Rheinberg, said: "It was surprising Mrs Moores survived as long as she had with the evidence of the extreme infection.

"This was not a natural cause of death. The finding is that Mrs Moore died due to misadventure. This was the unintended outcome of an intended act."

Christine Moores, of Sugar Street, Rushton Spencer, said: "She was a sprightly lady who will be very sadly missed." Mildred was the widow of Fredrick Moore, a retired warehouseman.

She worked in the textile industry, had two children, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

John Wilbraham, chief executive at East Cheshire NHS Trust said: "We would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family of Mildred Moores.

"We have noted the coroner’s verdict in respect of the inquest into Mrs Moores’ death."