A WOMAN who decided to be sterilised after having three children in rapid succession yesterday brought an action for negligence against a consultant, the late Dr Ian Dalrymple, and the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin.
Ms Caroline Callery Murray (31), of Elphin, Co Roscommon, told Mr Justice Moriarty she had never had any form of gynaecological problem or ill health before she went for the operation on Friday, September 13th, 1991.
Opening her case, Mr Patrick Hanratty SC said that during the course of the sterilisation procedure performed 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.
Ms Murray in evidence said she asked Dr Dalrymple what had happened and he told her he did not know.
Three months later she was getting her strength back when adhesions began to give her problems. She had never heard of them until she went to see her own doctor. She got pain, like a stitch, in her side and might get about 100 "jabs" a day. She had bowel problems and got sharp pain during intercourse.
In September 1994 another gynaecologist performed an operation and sought to separate out the adhesions using micro-surgery. Since then adhesions in the bowel seemed to have returned to some degree. She had spoken to her gynaecologist who told her the only other option was to "clear out everything". This was something she was not willing to do.
As a result of the surgery she had a scar across her stomach which was extremely ugly. She said the risk of further surgery petrified her.
The defendants deny Ms Murray's claims that the tear in the right fallopian tube caused the haemorrhage or that she continued to haemorrhage in the manner she described. The hearing continues today.