A group of concerned parents of children with complex congenital and acquired limb deformities who require specialised surgery this evening called for the “immediate reinstatement” of consultant paediatric orthopeadic surgeon Connor Green, at Temple Street Children’s Hospital.
OrthoKids Ireland, organised by parents of children under the care of Mr Green, warned their children have been “waiting months” for life-saving treatment due to Mr Green’s absence.
Mr Green is the consultant at the centre of the spinal surgery crisis at Temple Street, run by Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), reported to the Irish Medical Council after CHI said it received concerns about outcomes for patients who were operated on by Mr Green.
Mr Green, who ceased performing surgeries last year and has been on leave for the past five months, has so far declined offers to be interviewed or comment publicly.
A number of reviews are ongoing into the alleged use of unauthorised springs not intended for surgical use in Mr Green’s young patients, as well as orthopeadic surgeries and governance and oversight at Temple Street.
OrthoKids Ireland launched an online petition on Saturday, signed by over 900 people in its first 24 hours, which called on the IMC to “convene an emergency meeting to review Connor Green’s case...as Connor is the only surgeon in Ireland with fellowship and training in reconstruction of limbs and bone dysplasia”.
The group claimed that, at the National Orthopeadic Hospital, Cappagh, there are presently “over 100 children are on a waiting list for procedures that only Connor can carry out, including congenital limb reconstruction, bone dysplasia reconstruction and surgical hip dislocation”.
It said that, at Temple Street, there are “over 50 children waiting for congenital limb reconstruction, bone dysplasia reconstruction and osteogenesis imperfecta”, and that, “at least 40 new referrals a year will join this waiting list due to Connor’s absence”.
A member of the OthoKids Ireland group, Diane Hodnett, said her daughter Julia, (7), was “spared long-term life-impacting surgery” due to a specialised surgical intervention by Mr Green to one of the girl’s limbs.
“Julia has been a patient of Mr Green since she was one years old, due to having a rare medical condition that required surgery, which could not be treated successfully by anyone else in Europe, and only by a handful of doctors globally,” Ms Hodnett said.
The group said the children involved require a “multitude of procedures” and are currently facing three options:
(1) Their case being taken over by consultant and not being treated.
(2) Treated by surgeons not trained in the skills that are unique to Connor Green.
(3) Go abroad for treatment, despite their disabilities and the absence of Mr Green.
Martin O’Regan, OrthoKids Ireland, said: “The government will say that, under the National Treatment Purchase Fund, they could put our kids on planes for treatment abroad but the fact is a lot of these kids are not able to travel.”
“I am 100 per cent sure Connor Green will be exonerated when the investigations are all completed, but in the meantime, our children should not be allowed to deteriorate and have their future stolen by being denied the care of one the world’s best limb reconstruction surgeons. Connor cares viscerally for all his patients, he always goes above and beyond expectations in their care,” he added.
“Travelling abroad to one of a handful of other specialists, for the next 10-18 years is not a viable solution for these children, so we are appealing for Connor Green’s case to be accelerated through the Irish Medical Council to facilitate hundreds of children benefiting from his expertise,” said Mr O’Regan.
The group said their children were living with “uncertainty and fear that the expected (positive) life-changing trajectory our children were on (with Mr Green) is now in abeyance, with potential life-altering consequences”.
It said “many more” children, “needing specialist care”, and on out-patient waiting lists or between treatments, “remain in pain, lingering on waiting lists for months as other surgeons do not possess his (Dr Green’s) expertise and experience in managing many of the complex issues our children endure”.
The group said their children’s lives are “on hold” and their education was been stymied “as they cannot play or attend school”.
