Woman sues over alleged infections from op to remove breast implants
Roisin Milmoe from Dundrum is suing over the care she received after an operation to remove breast implants. Picture: Collins Courts
A woman who claims she ended up with multiple wound infections following surgery to remove silicone breast implants in 2015 has sued in the High Court.
Communications manager Roisin Milmoe (42) told the court that after the €7,000 surgery, one of her breasts began to leak blood and she had to be brought back to theatre hours later for a second operation.
She said she continued to have nightmares for months afterwards.
"I would wake up screaming and shouting. It was very harrowing for me. I was affected by it for months," she told Ms Justice Denise Brett.
Answering her counsel Aidan Walsh SC, appearing with David McGrath SC, Ms Milmoe said she has significant scarring on her breasts, which is visible nine years after the operation.
Roisin Milmoe, from Dundrum, Dublin, has sued cosmetic surgeon Labros Chatzis, with an address at Baggot Street Lower, Dublin, who carried out the surgery, and Sheldon Investments Limited, trading as River Medical Group, with registered offices at Pleasants Street, Dublin — and which operated the River Medical Group at Baggot St Lower — over her care afterwards.
It is claimed that in October 2015, Ms Milmoe attended the River Medical Group clinic and came under the care of the plastic surgeon.
The surgery, a bilateral breast implant removal combined with bilateral breast mastopexy, was carried out on November 7, 2015, at a Waterford theatre.
Ms Milmoe has alleged she developed multiple post-operative infections requiring several courses of antibiotics.
She claimed there was an alleged failure to treat her appropriately or with appropriate skill and there was an alleged failure to take any or any appropriate steps concerning probable infection or to prescribe any or proper antibiotics to prevent infection in time or at all.
It is further claimed she was allegedly caused to have delayed healing and there was an alleged failure to properly assess the risk of infection.
It is also claimed that during a post-operative check at the River Medical Group clinic a week after the surgery, she was examined by a nurse and a decision was taken to have her seen by a GP.
All of the claims are denied by both defendants and Sheldon Investments, trading as River Medical Group, also denies that it provided the implant removal to Ms Milmoe.
Ms Milmoe, who was giving evidence on the first day of her action, said she had received the implants in Turkey in 2007 and had been very happy with them but after a car accident they were too heavy and she opted to have them removed.
After the three-hour-long surgery in 2015, she felt very sick and her left breast was bleeding "covering the sheets". She said she was in agony and after the weekend operation, she was discharged home on Monday and was given one painkiller.
She said she was “genuinely traumatised” and in the second week had “gaping wounds opening" as her breasts were not healing.
She told the court that after her operation she expected to have “access to somebody who cared” but “was ignored”.
She said River Medical had told her there would be a 24/7 aftercare service, but she said "they did not do it”.
After the operation, she said she had to go on courses of antibiotics and is now left with a fold on the nipple of her right breast, as well as scarring in her breast area.
She said she was in pain, and it felt like chronic pain.
“You can still see the scarring nine years later,” she told the judge.
The case continues.
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