A 74-YEAR-old woman died following surgery to her knee replacements.

Eileen Thorpe a retired nurse from Orchard Place, Ledbury fell on July 28 while getting into a car.

Herefordshire Coroner's Court heard she had fractured both femurs above where she had previously had knee replacements.

Consultant Dr Matthew Oakley at Hereford County Hospital spoke to her about the risks involved to revise both replacements at the same time.

But Mrs Thorpe said she wanted to go ahead so she could maintain independent living and driving.

She went into theatre on August 6 and close to the end of her operation her blood pressure dropped and she suffered a cardiac arrest.

Her condition deteriorated and she died six hours later in intensive care.

A post mortem recorded her cause of death as cardiac arrest and congestive cardiac failure.

Coroner Mark Bricknell said her death was a consequence of an appropriate operation which was needed due to devastating injuries caused by an accident. He recorded an accidental death.