A GREAT-GRANDMOTHER died during hip surgery after she tripped and fell in her garden in Carlisle while on her way to pull up a weed, an inquest has heard.

Doreen Mackenzie, 87, died in the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle on July 12, 2024, after her heart stopped while undergoing an arthroplasty to treat a left neck of femur fracture.

She sustained the injury by falling in her garden two days earlier, on July 10.

Mrs Mackenzie’s husband of 66 years, Ian, told Assistant Coroner for Cumbria, Mr Robert Cohen: "We were sat in the garden, she saw a weed, and she went to go and pick it".

She was admitted to the emergency department in Carlisle before being transferred to the trauma and orthopaedic ward on the same day.

There she was placed under the care of Mr Krishna Kumar, consultant orthopaedic surgeon.

In a statement submitted to Cockermouth Coroner’s Court, Mr Kumar said that Mrs Mackenzie suffered from 'very significant co-morbidities', including hypertension, type-2 diabetes,  and angina, and was on blood thinning medication.

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Because of this, he said an arthroplasty was 'high-risk', but because Mrs Mackenzie had a displaced femur, the outcome without surgery would be 'disastrous and unpleasant for her'.

Mr Kumar reported that Mrs Mackenzie said she was 'very clear' she did not want to be resuscitated if complications arose, and said: "If I make it, I'll make it, and if it's my time to go, I'll go."

A cemented arthroplasty with prosthesis procedure was scheduled for July 12, which went ahead at 11am.

Mr Kumar said that as he was closing the surgical wound, the anaesthetist became concerned about Mrs Mackenzie's vital signs, and it was found that she had suffered a cardiac arrest.

She was declared deceased at 12.45pm.

Mr Cohen accepted the cause of death offered of cement implantation syndrome, a 'recognised complication' that can cause cardiac arrest in such an operation.

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He said this was caused by a hip fracture following a fall, and concluded that Mrs Mackenzie's death was accidental.

One of Mrs Mackenzie's two daughters, Susan, said in a statement: "She was a very private and independent lady who lived for her family.

"She would help anybody in trouble.

"She loved her garden and had green fingers.

"She loved crosswords, knitting, and jigsaws.

"Nobody had a bad word to say about her and everyone adored her."

Mr Cohen also paid tribute to Mrs Mackenzie, by saying: "It's very clear that the Mackenzie family are a close and loving family who have lost an integral amber of that family.

"Doreen was obviously someone who kept herself busy, got involved in a number of activities, took a pivotal role in her community as well as with her family.

"I'm told she adored her grandchildren, and she had a very long and happy marriage."

The court heard from her daughter that the couple met at Harraby youth club in 1953 and married in 1957 at St Elizabeth’s church.