A WOMAN from Wrexham died shortly after having a replacement heart valve operation.

Deborah Ann Davies, of Eldon Grove, Rhostyllen, died on July 19 last year after undergoing surgery a month before. She was 50.

At an inquest into her death John Gittins, coroner for North East Wales and Central, reached a conclusion of natural causes as a result of pneumonia and a chest infection, with cardiac valve disease a contributing factor.

A statement given to the Wrexham hearing by Ms Davies' sister Julie Leech described her as "a quiet person" who struggled with a medical condition from an early age, but had worked as a volunteer in a charity shop.

When she was eight Ms Davies underwent an operation at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool for a defective heart valve.

She had been single all her life until Gary Lomax became her partner 18 months previously.

On June 15, 2017, she had an operation at the Royal Liverpool Hospital for a replacement heart valve, with a pacemaker being inserted under general anaesthetic.

Ms Davies' condition deteriorated after the operation and she was transferred to Wrexham Maelor Hospital on July 10.

On July 19 hospital staff told her family that Ms Davies was not responding to treatment, she was deteriorating and the decision was made for her life support to be switched off that evening.

Dr Mark Field, who performed the surgery on Ms Davies in Liverpool, said there were several postponements before Ms Davies finally underwent an operation but he did not believe they played a part in her death.

"I do not think delays changed the outcome,” he said.