An obstetrician/gynaecologist told the High Court yesterday that she believed she had completely removed a dead foetus from a Cork woman following an operation.
In reply to suggestions from British experts earlier in the hearing that she did not have the experience or training to carry out the operation she performed, Dr Rachel Patton said that live abortions were carried out in Britain. "We don't do live abortions in Ireland. I have never done a termination of life," she said.
Dr Patton was giving evidence on the fifth day of an action taken against her by Ms Fiona Griffin (45), Estuary Walk, Ballynoe, Co Cork. Ms Griffin had also sued the Bon Secours Hospital, Cork, but the action is no longer proceeding against the hospital.
Ms Griffin has alleged negligence in the carrying out of an operation to remove a 17-week- old dead foetus from her womb. The operation was performed in January 1998 after three weeks of failed attempts to induce labour to allow her to expel the foetus.
Yesterday, Dr Patton agreed that while one looked at what was removed in such an operation, one did not sift through each little bit to see if it was all out. Pieces could be left behind, she said. She was satisfied that she had completely removed the foetus. When she removed a piece of bone from Ms Griffin at the end of March, there was no evidence of an infection in the uterine cavity, she said.
Dr Patton did not regard a hysterectomy as feasible because Ms Griffin wanted another baby since her previous pregnancy had ended in failure. "I wanted to ensure that at the end of the operation she would have an intact uterus that would allow her to get pregnant again," Dr Patton said.
Ms Griffin already had four caesarian scars in the lower section of her uterus. A fifth down the centre of the uterus would have caused problems for future pregnancies. Dr Patton said it was correct to state that a piece of bone of about 5.5 cm had been left after the operation. She had made a manual examination and believed she got the complete foetus out.
Referring to a vacuum suction curette machine (VSC), she said that she had not used one before 1999, as it was not the practice here to do so. In 1999, the Bon Secours Hospital had secured a VSC, and she now used it. She had used an ovum forceps and she considered that she had achieved a complete evacuation of the foetus. She dealt with about 100 similar cases every year.
Earlier, after hearing submissions by Mr Liam Reidy SC, for the Bon Secours Hospital, Mr Justice O'Donovan acceded to an application to strike out the case against the hospital. The issue of costs will be dealt with later.
Mr Reidy said Ms Griffin's side had claimed there was a failure to provide a forceps and a vacuum suction curette, but two of her expert witnesses had accepted that it was not common practice to have these implements in Ireland.
Mr Justice O'Donovan said Dr Patton was happy that she had sufficient equipment to carry out the operation and he acceded to the application.
Dr Patton continues her evidence today.