A number of women who had both of their ovaries removed by the former Drogheda obstetrician Dr Michael Neary are still unaware that the ovaries were taken out unnecessarily, it has emerged.
Although the main focus up to now has been on women whose wombs were unnecessarily removed at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital by Dr Neary, a redress scheme set up by the Government last month to compensate his patients has made provision to compensate 50 women who had both their ovaries removed by the doctor. All of them were under 40 years of age at the time.
Some had the ovaries removed at the time their wombs were taken out but some also had them removed as a separate gynaecological procedure.
Sheila O'Connor of Patient Focus, which has been campaigning on behalf of victims of Dr Neary, said many of these women would not be aware they were operated on unnecessarily.
She said Patient Focus was aware for some time that a number of women had both their ovaries removed by Dr Neary, but they did not know the extent to which it occurred until details of the redress scheme drawn up by Judge Maureen Harding Clark were published.
The cases had been uncovered by Judge Harding Clark during the Lourdes hospital inquiry more than a year ago.
Ms O'Connor urged any women who had both ovaries removed at the hospital between 1974 and 1998 and who were under 40 years of age at the time to contact Patient Focus or the hospital directly for their medical files, as they may be entitled to compensation. The hospital, it is understood, has no plans at present to initiate direct contact with the women.
The Health Service Executive said it is not planning a fresh inquiry into why so many women had both their ovaries removed unnecessarily at the hospital.