A leading surgeon has brought a High Court challenge to findings by the Medical Council’s fitness to practise committee he was guilty of poor professional performance after a young patient in his care had an unnecessary tongue-tie operation.
Prof Martin Corbally is disputing the findings of an inquiry into the operation performed on a two- year-old girl at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, in April 2010.The child had a tongue tie operation involving releasing the fold of skin beneath her tongue when what she needed was an upper labial frenulectomy to release the fold of skin attaching her upper lip to her gum. She later had the correct operation.
Leave to bring the challenge was granted, on an ex parte basis (one side only represented), by Mr Justice Michael Peart who returned the matter to next February.
In the judicial review proceedings, Prof Corbally contends the allegations were not proven beyond reasonable doubt and involved an incorrect interpretation of poor professional performance.