A retired Dublin surgeon who, it is alleged, refused to co-operate with his medical insurers, is conducting his own defence in a High Court action for alleged negligence taken against him by a hospital administrator.
Ms Christine Carroll (45), of Brookfield Court, Brookfield Green, KCR, Dublin, is suing Dr Vincent Lynch, a retired thoracic surgeon who carried on a practice at St Vincent's Hospital and Blackrock Clinic, in Dublin.
Ms Carroll claims she went to St Vincent's Hospital with a collapsed lung. She claims Mr Lynch carried out "keyhole surgery" on June 5th, 1996, made an incorrect entry near her right nipple and punctured an artery, causing bleeding.
As a result, Mr Lynch had to carry out chest surgery to stop the bleeding, and this procedure involved a 15 to 20 per cent risk that she would suffer from constant pain, she alleges. She further claims Mr Lynch knew or ought to have known that the entry near her right nipple was not normal practice and constituted a risk of injury to her.
In evidence, Ms Carroll said she awoke from the operation in extreme pain, had considerable scarring tissue and was covered in blood. She began to experience constant pain. She told Mr Justice Johnson that her personal life had suffered. She had been planning to get married, but the man had left. She said she had been a keen pianist, but because of weakness in her right hand following the surgery, she now played badly.
Mr Lynch denies Ms Carroll's claims. During yesterday's proceedings, Mr Denis McCullough SC, for Ms Carroll, said Mr Lynch had been represented by the legal firm, Arthur Cox and Co.
The firm had filed a defence on the surgeon's behalf but had brought a motion before the court asking to come off record as Mr Lynch did not wish to co-operate with his medical indemnifiers, counsel said.
The hearing continues today.