A FORMER Master of the Coombe Hospital told the High Court yesterday he did not think the late Dr Ian Dalrymple fell short of standards expected of a consultant obstetrician/gynaecologist when he carried out a sterilisation procedure.
Ms Caroline Callery Murray (31), of Elphin, of Roscommon, a mother of three, is suing the late Dr Dalrymple and the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, for negligence. Mr Justice Moriarty reserved judgment in the case.
On the first day of the case on Wednesday, counsel for Ms Murray said that during a sterilisation procedure performed in September 1991 by Dr Dalrymple the right fallopian tube was torn.
She was returned to a ward but it later became apparent she was bleeding internally and a second operation was carried out. Three years later another gynaecologist performed an operation and sought to separate adhesions using microsurgery.
The defendants denied Ms Murray's claims that the tear to the tube caused a haemorrhage or that she continued to haemorrhage.
Yesterday, Dr James Clinch, a former Master of the Coombe Hospital and consultant obstetrician/gynaecologist, gave evidence on behalf of the defence.
Dr John Coughlan SC, for the defence, asked if, after looking at the operation notes and examining Ms Murray, he thought Dr Dalrymple had fallen short of the standard expected of a consultant/obstetrician in this State.
Dr Clinch replied he did not. Dr Dalrymple had dealt with an emergency quickly and since not every procedure was perfect, one of the tricks was to recognise something had gone wrong and to act as quickly as possible.
Everyone was as careful as possible and sometimes things went wrong. One always looked for explanations but did not always find them. There was no such thing as a simple operation.
Dr Clinch said Dr Dalrymple, who died last September, was very experienced and did an immense amount of clinical work.
Mr Justice Moriarty said Dr Dalrymple was a consultant of long experience and eminent standing. They were only concerned in the court that he may not have satisfied his normal high standards on this occasion.
Dr Rebecca Johnson, a GP, said she was a senior house officer at the Rotunda in 1991.
When she took a consent for an operation, it was her routine to warn of the possible risks but then reassure the patient the risks were minimal.
After Ms Murray's operation, she checked her twice and when her haemoglobulin level dropped, she felt Ms Murray was probably bleeding and sent for Dr DalrympIe. Ms Murray then went for the second operation and the bleeding stopped.