A widow told an inquest how her husband died following what she thought was a routine operation.

Alan Waters, 73, of Laughton, near Lewes, who was suffering from chronic renal failure, died at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Brighton, in August after developing peritonitis when his bowel was perforated by a catheter inserted during surgery.

Doctors who treated Mr Waters were accused at the hearing of failing to respond fast enough to signs he was not recovering from the op.

Consultant renal surgeon Marie Walters, who was asked by the coroner to be an independent witness at the inquest, told the hearing she believed that although Mr Waters had been consistently monitored by medical staff, doctors had failed to act upon the signs that his health was worsening.

When asked by the coroner if there was a connection between the apparent failure to address these signs and his death, she replied yes.

The hearing at Brighton Magistrates Court yesterday was told how Mr Waters, a retired businessman, needed the catheter inserted in order to have kidney dialysis treatment.

His widow Christina Waters said she was unaware that bowel perforation was a rare, but potentially fatal, complication of the procedure.

Mrs Waters said she was under the impression the surgery had the same risk as extracting wisdom teeth.

She said: "I did not consider this operation to be high risk. I was told it was a simple procedure.

"I would not have left his side if I considered there was any danger of peritonitis. Not that I could have done anything but time spent with him was precious."

Mrs Waters expected her husband to return home the following day but he failed to recover from the operation and was in pain. His condition continued to deteriorate.

Two days after the first operation he cried out in pain.

Later that day he underwent surgery again where he was found to have a perforation in his intestine. Part of his bowel was removed and he was taken to intensive care. He died two days later.

The inquest heard adhesions caused by earlier abdominal surgery in 1996 made the insertion of the catheter more risky.

Consultant renal surgeon Michael Bewick told the hearing he accepted responsibility for perforating the bowel during the op but he did not know how it happened.

He said: "Knowing this man had previous abdominal surgery, knowing it could cause adhesions, I knew there was going to be potential trouble."

He said the surface of the bowel was slightly grazed during the procedure and he expected this to heal quickly and not cause any problems.

Mr Bewick said he believed the graze could have developed into a perforation.

Brighton and Hove Coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley adjourned the inquest until a later date.