Steven Didmon, 39, was admitted for a hernia operation at the Siloam Hospital this month, but went into cardiac arrest when doctors administered an epidural anaesthetic.
Mr Didmon’s sister Fiona Vojnovic said doctors and support staff gave her brother CPR after his heart stopped and stabilised him after several hours of working on him.
He was placed on life support because his kidney and lungs were not functioning.
Ventilator tubes have now been removed and he is communicating with his family, though he remains weak and confused.
Mr Didmon has a 10-year-old daughter and three-year-old son.
He had been living in Bali for several years with his Indonesian wife after losing his job as a sub-sea engineer.
His sister said he elected to have the operation in Bali because he could not afford to wait around in Perth for surgery.
He had no travel or medical insurance. His sister estimates medical bills to date have come to about $50,000.
The family claims it will also have to find at least $45,000 to pay for an air ambulance to evacuate their son home to Australia.
“We need to get him home,” Ms Vojnovic said.
“We are trying to liaise with foreign doctors and are struggling with language barriers and the like.”
Mr Didmon is said to need ongoing dialysis and rehabilitation to get his limb function back.
The family has started a GoFundMe page in the hope of raising cash to get Mr Didmon home and back on his feet.
Source: Routine hernia operation goes wrong in Bali | Perth Now
