Inquiry told of surgeon’s ‘extreme’ rudeness

A consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist was “quite rude” to a patient when she questioned him after he performed a hysterectomy on her, an inquiry heard yesterday.

Nurse Caitriona Kenny from St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny said the impression she was left with, following a meeting with patient Helen Cruise, 62, and Dr Peter Van Geene, was “Mr Van Geene was quite rude to Ms Cruise”.

Nurse Kenny told the Medical Council inquiry in Dublin it was one of the most extreme incidents of rudeness she had witnessed from a doctor towards a patient.

On a scale from one to 10, she said Mr Van Geene scored a seven in terms of rudeness. She also told the inquiry she remembers Mr Van Geene making a reference to the fact that Ms Cruise smoked, and that the word “sue” came up.

However, Nurse Kenny said she did not remember Mr Van Geene touching Ms Cruise inappropriately in any way. She added, had she witnessed Mr Van Geene slapping Ms Cruise, she would have reported it.

Earlier this week, Ms Cruise told the inquiry that Dr Van Geene had slapped her hands and knees when she confronted him about the surgery.

Ms Cruise also claimed Mr Van Geene told her she suffered post-operative bleeding because she had coughed during the operation, and that he shouted at her “sue me, sue me, sue me” when she questioned him about the procedure.

Nurse Kenny began to care for Ms Cruise on August 30, 2011 at St Luke’s Hospital where Ms Cruise had been transferred on August 26, following her operation at Aut Even private hospital on August 23. Ms Cruise was suffering from severe shortness of breath and was “very confused” when transferred.

On August 30, Ms Cruise told Nurse Kenny she was upset about how she was treated at Aut Even, and that she would like to ask Mr Van Geene about her hysterectomy, which he performed.

Nurse Kenny left a message for Mr Van Geene, and he made contact to say he would come meet with Ms Cruise on the next day. It was at that meeting Dr Van Geene was allegedly “quite rude”.

Patient B, on whom Mr. Van Geene also performed a hysterectomy, also spoke before the inquiry yesterday. She suffered significant blood loss after surgery, and required a blood transfusion.

Patient B recalled how she went to sleep on the night following her operation. She woke up the next day, disorientated. A machine was over her stomach and the “room was very busy”.

She then drifted out of consciousness. When she came to, she said: “I felt very uncomfortable. Very bloated and blown up.”

Patient B told the committee she was dissatisfied with the lack of information provided to her regarding her post-operative blood loss.

She felt annoyed and frustrated nobody seemed to discuss the fact that anything untoward had happened. After her discharge, she failed to attend a follow up appointment with Mr Van Geene, as she ‘had enough of it, of the whole set-up’.

Mr Van Geene is facing allegations in relation to four women on whom he performed hysterectomies between 2009 and 2011.

Mr Van Geene is disputing the allegations.

The inquiry continues.