Preliminary inspection found abnormality in screw-on connector at end of catheter used during heart operation on elderly man at Tuen Mun Hospital
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenWynna WongPublished: 11:57pm, 15 May 2026Hong Kong health authorities have ordered hospitals to stop using a batch of blood pressure monitoring sets after an improperly sealed device was linked to the death of an elderly man undergoing a heart operation.
The Hospital Authority noted on Thursday the 75-year-old man had a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and high cholesterol.
He was admitted to hospital on Wednesday last week after his respiratory condition deteriorated.
According to the authority, the patient later suffered an acute heart attack and underwent a percutaneous coronary intervention, also known as balloon angioplasty, on Monday.
Medical staff first noticed air bubbles through imaging during the operation and immediately checked the blood pressure monitoring device and related equipment, but found no abnormalities.
The operation continued following a clinical assessment, but air bubbles were detected again in the patient’s coronary artery about 30 minutes later.
