Perth father flown home from Bali after mid-operation cardiac arrest
Perth doctors say a father who was flown home from Bali has suffered a medical complication that almost never happens in Australia.
Steven Didmon went into cardiac arrest during a minor operation.
He is now being treated at Fiona Stanley Hospital after an emergency flight back from Indonesia.
The 39-year-old was rushed home on a mercy flight after a horror ordeal in a Balinese hospital.
He had gone in for a routine hernia operation, but something went wrong after he was administered an epidural and he went into cardiac arrest.
His sister said Mr Didmon was awake but not communicating and was heavily sedated.
"We're so relieved just knowing he's here and he's in the best care possible," she said.
Complications during epidurals are almost unheard of in Australia.
Six in every million end in complications, and doctors are unsure if Mr Didmon has any permanent damage.
He has been living in Bali with his wife and child and had tried to have the surgery done in Perth but was not eligible for Medicare because he is not a resident.
In Perth the procedure would have cost $20,000 with a six month delay.
Treatment in Bali was his only option, but now his family is facing a mountain of medical bills totalling close to $100,000.
