My life was ruined by Symphysiotomy

Rosemary, a survivor of symphysiotomy, gives a harrowing account to Ann Cahill of the night, more than 40 years ago, when her pelvis was broken by a doctor in a crowded hospital theatre

MY pelvis was broken in 1973 on my fifth child. My daughter was big and in a breech position — feet first. They brought me in to the Lourdes [Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda] at 40 weeks, they said the baby was in an “unstable lie”. There was no emergency.

I was left in the ward for 10 days, then they brought me down to theatre for a Caesarean-section. But Dr O’Brien refused to do it, and said I could deliver normally, so he turned the baby, and I was wheeled back up to the ward. They put me on a drip, and gave me injections. This went on for 24 hours. Then they tried to get the baby out with a vacuum, a machine like a Hoover, but it didn’t work.