A woman who awoke from surgery to discover her right arm was paralysed, has settled her claim for medical negligence against St. James’s Hospital in Dublin.
Martina Coyne (39) of Castlepollard, County Westmeath, had suffered all her life with the congenital abnormality of an extra rib. The rib caused her to experience pain and discomfort in the right side of her neck and chest and, in August 2000, she was admitted to the hospital to have it removed.
However, on awaking from her surgery, Martina discovered that she could not move her right arm while at the same time it was causing her intense pain. It was claimed in the High Court that Martina had pleaded with her doctors to amputate the arm because of the pain she was experiencing.
After investigation, it was argued, that damage had been sustained to the blood vessels supplying blood to Martina’s arm, and corrective surgery was required to repair the damage caused by medical negligence.