'Life is more important than a few dollars': Perth father's warning after botched Bali surgery

A Perth man says he should have gone home for a routine hernia operation that has left him with ongoing health problems and a debt of almost $100,000 after having the surgery in Bali.

Steven Didmon said he is going to need ongoing dialysis and rehabilitation to get his limb function back after he received an epidural anaesthetic during his July 12 surgery in Bali that caused him to go into cardiac arrest, leaving him with possible kidney and lung damage.

Mr Didmon said he had "no fear" when he went in for surgery in Bali, the Daily Mail reports.

"I'd been in good health prior to it and never would have expected it. It just goes to show it could happen to anyone," he said.

"Obviously cost is a factor but it's not everything, and your life is more important than saving a few dollars."

• Perth father flown home from Bali after mid-operation cardiac arrest

• Family's desperate plea to get ill man home from Bali after operation goes wrong

Mr Didmon has been living in Bali for several years with his Indonesian wife after losing his job as a sub-sea engineer.

His sister said at the time of the incident he had the operation in Bali because he couldn't afford to wait around in Perth for surgery.

The father of two, 39, was admitted into Siloam Hospital on July 12 for a routine hernia operation.

“He’s come here healthy, went in to do the surgery and it’s ended in disaster,” Mr Didmon’s wife Lovia said.

Mr Didmon’s father Jeffrey said a team of doctors performed CPR on Steven for two hours while his heart “constantly” stopped during surgery.

“It was touch and go for Steve,” he said.

“He is slowly improving but still requires Haemodialysis daily.”

He said Steven was on life support for a week and a half and had issues with his lungs and kidneys not functioning properly.

“He was breathing with a ventilator tube for two and a half weeks,” Jeffrey said.

Without health or travel insurance the family was forced to pay $96,000.

Mr Didmon’s sister, Fiona Vojnovic, said they are still paying off the hefty bill.

“We had to pay $44,000 just to release him,” she said.

“We’ve still got another $7000 owing to the hospital.

“My dad used his life savings.”

But Mr Didmon’s family say it’s worth every cent to have him home where they hope he will make a full recovery.

He will continue to stay in hospital to be monitored.