Woman sues Dublin maternity hospital over alleged negligence

A woman is suing the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin, for damages for pain and post-traumatic stress disorder allegedly suffered as a result of allegedly negligent care of her during a Caesarean section procedure.

Ceinwen Doyle claims she felt a scalpel as it cut into her during the procedure being carried out under local anaesthetic.

When the initial skin incision was made in the C-section, she felt the scalpel slicing through layers of skin, she said.

“I could feel the cutting, it scared me,” she said.

Ms Doyle received two further top-ups of anasthetic and her baby daughter Lauren, her second child, was later delivered under general anaesthetic.

Ms Doyle (36) a creche owner, from Prospect Lawn, The Park, Cabinteely, Dublin has sued the hospital over her care at the time of Lauren’s birth in September 2013.

She claims she was asked to take part in a study into the Oxford head elevating laryngoscopy pillow to which she agreed. She claims the full nature and extent of what her participation in the study entailed, and the risks associated, were not explained to her adequately or at all, including that the study involved a different method of anaesthesia.

Shooting pains

It is also alleged the use of the pillow and the form of anaesthetic was associated with a risk of possible failure to achieve total local anaesthetic blockade.

It is further claimed there was failure to withdraw the needle and re-orient it after Ms Doyle complained of shooting pains in her legs so as to avoid damaging the nerve roots.

It is also alleged surgery was commenced where there was failure to achieve satisfactory sensory block, allegedly causing Ms Doyle extreme pain and suffering.

The hospital denies the claims and pleads Ms Doyle was given a full explanation of the risks. It also pleads Ms Doyle did not feel pain as is claimed.

Opening the case, Eugene Gleeson SC, for Ms Doyle, said she signed the consent form for the study but their case was the consent was “utterly false and flawed”. The effect was “catastrophic” from his client’s point of view, counsel said.

Ms Doyle has been left with severe lower back pain and an electric tingling sensation in her lower limb as well as post-traumatic stress disorder, he said.

In evidence, Ms Doyle said she had her first child Chloe in 2009 by Caesarean section at the hospital.

Pregnant with her second child

In September 2013, her waters broke when she was pregnant with her second child and she went to the hospital. It was decided on September 17th, 2013, she would have a C-section.

She said she was asked to take part in the study and was told it was “just a pillow”.

When the needle was put in her lower back administering the anaesthetic, the pain was unbearable and she began crying, she said.

“It was excruciating. A lightning bolt went down my right leg. I could not breathe. I could not speak. ”

She said a nurse held her hands and she was given two top-ups of anaesthetic. She later had a general anaesthetic and her baby was delivered but she did not get to see her for several hours as she recovered from the general anaesthetic.

The case before Mr Justice Kevin Cross continues on Friday.