Woman claims she felt scalpel during C-section
Ceinwen Doyle claimed when the initial skin incision was made in the C-section, she felt the scalpel slicing through the layers of skin.
She told Mr Justice Kevin Cross: “I could feel the cutting, it scared me.”
Her baby daughter was later delivered under general anaesthetic.
She claims she has been left with pain every day and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Ms Doyle, aged 36, a creche owner from Prospect Lawn, The Park, Cabinteely, Dublin, has sued the National Maternity Hospital over her care at the time of her daughter Lauren’s birth in September 2013.
She has claimed she was asked to take part in a study into the Oxford head elevating laryngoscopy pillow to which she agreed. However, she claims the full nature and extent of what her participating in the study entailed and the risks associated were not explained to her adequately or at all or that the study involved a different method of anaesthesia.
The claims are denied and the National Maternity Hospital has said Ms Doyle was given a full explanation of the risks. It contends she did not feel pain as is claimed.
In evidence, Ms Doyle said she had her first child Chloe in 2009 by Caesarean section at Holles St. She said in September 2103, her waters broke and she went to Holles St. It was later decided on September 17, 2013, she would have a C-section. She said she was asked to take part in the study and was told: “it is just a pillow”.
She said when the needle was put in her lower back administering the anaesthetic, the pain was unbearable and she began crying.
“It was excruciating. A lightning bolt went down my right leg. I could not breathe. I could not speak.”
She said she was given two top ups of anaesthetic. She later had a general anaesthetic and her baby was delivered but she did not get to see her for several hours as she recovered from the general anaesthetic.
The case before Mr Justice Kevin Cross continues today.
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