A parent of one of three children whose case was referred to in this week’s “damning” HIQA report into spinal surgeries at Temple Street has said that their child had to undergo “horrific” procedures to have the “corrosive” springs removed. Earlier this week, it was reported that three surgeries took place on children through Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street Hospital, where metal springs, which were not licensed for use in the EU, were used.
The parent, who did not wish to be named, told Gript that while the Health Information and Quality Authority’s report stated that the use of springs, which were unlicensed in the EU, was part of a “ well-intentioned but ill-considered effort” to provide an alternative approach to surgical treatment, the consequences of the surgeon’s actions should be central. The springs used were “corrosive,” the parent said, and therefore had to be removed.
The HIQA inquiry revealed the implants were used without ethical approval or the consent of parents.
“At the centre of this are the children who live with the consequences of the actions which were taken. The children went through the procedure of getting the springs inserted, but also further procedures to have the springs removed,” the parent said.
The parent, whose child had the “corrosive” spring removed, described the procedure as “horrific,” as the child had to have “bits of metal picked and pulled from the bone,” while the skin on the back was an open wound which took months to heal.
The family, who live rurally, say they were restricted for months due to the pain the child was in when placed in a car seat after operations to remove the implants.
A second parent said it had been a difficult week for families. Another set of parents, who spoke to the Irish Independent, said that their 7-year-old child Luke, who had the surgery when he was two, had been put at risk from steel which had never been used.
“We trusted CHI to do right by Luke by delivering safe, comprehensive and appropriate care to him,” his parents told the paper. “Tragically, it is now abundantly clear as a child Luke was failed by the paediatric services at CHI.
“The very services that should have protected Luke, by providing safe healthcare instead provided what is now clear was an intentional act that resulted in harm to our son who was an innocent child.
“It can only be concluded that Luke was used for unauthorised experimentation where a non-medical grade spring was placed in him, in an attempt at CHI to replicate an unapproved surgical procedure.”
Luke’s parents revealed that, “not surprisingly, that spring device then disintegrated inside Luke,” meaning that further surgical intervention was needed.
It comes as a Consultants Body claimed that the surgeon who fitted the children with the springs was acting “with good intent and in the absence of effective structures,” and that the surgeon believed the devices to be medical-grade stainless steel.
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) said on Thursday that the surgeon, who is a member of the body, was endeavoring to provide “innovative care” to children. As mentioned in the report, the medic had learned about the springs during a medical conference in the Netherlands.
“The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) recognises the deep distress and hurt caused to the three children and their families, as detailed in the recent HIQA report on the governance of implantable medical devices at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI),” the body said.
“The report highlights serious system-wide governance failures at CHI, particularly at Temple Street, where consultants were working under intense pressure with high patient care needs and workloads with inadequate support. It is within this environment that a surgeon, acting with good intent and in the absence of effective structures, endeavoured to provide innovative care to children.
“These were children with complex life-limiting conditions—children who, without intervention, faced extremely poor outcomes and suffering. As indicated by the HIQA report, at the time the surgeon believed the devices to be medical-grade stainless steel, CE marked as suitable for use as surgical implants. Due to the numerous failings in the hospital’s procurement processes and safety checks, this surgical “never event” happened. This was, and should have been, entirely preventable had proper policies and procedures been adhered to at the hospital.”