Perrin directed questions about Jessica Hangan’s treatment to Coonamble Aboriginal Health Service, which operates the Dubbo clinic.

Chairman Brendon Harris said the service was unable to answer questions about Webber’s legal case, or the deaths of Jessica and Caroline.

Aneurysms are weak spots in the walls of arteries that can bulge and form pockets as blood flows through the brain. They often appear at branching points where a big artery separates into multiple smaller branches.

Unruptured aneurysms are symptomless and relatively common, occurring in anywhere between 1 and 5 per cent of the population. Many discover the condition only while undergoing imaging for an unrelated condition, such as head trauma or unexplained headaches.

Dr Johnny Wong, a neurosurgeon specialising in aneurysms at Sydney’s North Shore Private, said there was no way of predicting if and when a rupture could occur.

Wong, who was not involved in Jessica’s treatment but reviewed her case at this masthead’s request, said the radiology’s recommendation was not binding.

“What it comes down to is whether individual GPs are happy to give advice on [the aneurysm],” he said. “If they’re not, referring to a specialist would be very appropriate.”

Lifestyle factors such as smoking and high blood pressure, sometimes linked to excessive alcohol use, can increase the risk of aneurysms rupturing.

But even if Jessica had been referred, Wong said the outcome might not have changed.

The aneurysm was relatively small, meaning a specialist was likely to have recommended regular observation rather than more invasive surgical options.

“Usually, it’s less than a 1 per cent chance per year that you would have an aneurysm rupture,” he said. “This was a very unlucky case.”

‘The world needs to know’

In March, Webber’s lawyers notified the AMS they would seek a Supreme Court order for the service to hand over the documents.

Dubbo AMS did not send a representative to a Supreme Court hearing on April 7, and the matter was adjourned for two weeks.

Webber said she was seeking to obtain the documents because she wanted answers for her nine grandchildren.

“They go to the cemetery and sit in the middle of the night because they miss them [Jessica and Caroline],” Webber said.

“The world needs to know my daughters.”

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Original source: au