Cappagh Hospital surgery changes teenager’s life

A TEENAGER from Co Meath has spoken about how surgery at Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital in Finglas changed her life.

Sara Kelly (18) was diagnosed with scoliosis in 2011 after visiting her GP for a chest infection.

She attended regular check-ups to monitor the condition, which was initially treated conservatively. However, Sara elected to have surgery after the condition began to negatively impact her life.

The former under-14 Meath camogie player was one of five patients transferred to Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital in 2015 after spending three years on a waiting list in another Dublin hospital.

As part of the spinal correction surgery, Sara had 14 screws and two rods inserted in her back.

“The surgery has changed my life,” she said.

“I was lucky to be transferred to Cappagh and operated on within five months, particularly after being on a waiting list in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin for three years.

“The recovery was tough but manageable and I was home from the hospital after six days. Three years after my surgery, I am living pain-free.”

Angela Lee, General Manager of Cappagh, said that the hospital has consistently increased the volume of idiopathic scoliosis procedures over the past three years.

“We met the Government’s target in 2018 of ensuring no child is waiting longer than four months for spinal fusion surgery,” she continued.

“With the additional funding secured for 2019, Cappagh will have the capacity to complete 50 surgeries, which will free up space in other children’s hospitals to deal with more complex cases.”

Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital is the only hospital in Ireland that is currently carrying out two scoliosis procedures in one day.

The hospital has significantly cut surgical waiting lists from 12-18 months in 2017 to 6-9 months for all orthopaedic procedures, and the waiting list for scoliosis currently stands at four months.

The hospital treats patients with idiopathic scoliosis, where the patient is suffering from no other medical complication.

Mr Peter Keogh, Clinical Director and Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital added: “Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital has been able to shorten the time a patient spends in surgery by having two consultant paediatric surgeons operating together and it’s the only hospital in Ireland currently undertaking this practice.”

Cappagh Hospital is the pioneer of orthopaedic surgery in Ireland and with 159 beds is now the biggest dedicated elective orthopaedic hospital in the country, catering for both public and private patients.