By REBECCA WALSH
A 17-year-old woman badly burned during a caesarean delivery has undergone a second skin graft operation.
The first-time mother suffered burns to her back, her sides, around her groin area and down to her knees during the operation at Waitakere Hospital last weekend.
Preliminary findings from Fire Service and hospital investigations into the incident are expected on Monday.
A family friend said the mother had more surgery at Middlemore Hospital on Wednesday and it had taken longer than the expected five hours.
It would be some time before she would be able to return home and she would be spending her birthday in hospital. Only her parents were able to visit her at the moment to reduce the chances of infection.
The friend said the woman's baby boy was "doing all right".
Waitakere deputy chief fire officer Ben Basevi said the woman's family and staff present during the procedure would be briefed before the findings of the investigation were made public.
One possible cause was that an alcohol-based swabbing solution, used to sterilise parts of the body for surgery, might have been accidentally ignited.
This week, the Herald reported a second case in which a 24-year-old man suffered minor burns during an operation at Middlemore Hospital to remove his appendix.
In Northern Ireland where there have also been reports of fires during surgery, health authorities have said that if spirit-based solutions are used, surgeons must ensure the preparation dries and there is no pooling around the patient's body.
Surgery for burned mother
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