Family of woman who went into cardiac arrest during dental procedure and later died settle action
High Court Reporter
The family of a woman who suffered a cardiac arrest during an implant procedure at a Dublin dental clinic and died five days later has settled a High Court action over her death.
Mother of three Margaret O’Doherty, the High Court heard, was having the implants inserted under conscious sedation at Dublin Specialist Dentistry at Sandyford, Dublin, when, after five of the seven implants had been completed, the 72-year old woman went into cardiac arrest.
An ambulance was called and she was taken to hospital, where she died five days later.
The family’s counsel Bruce Antoniotti, instructed by Rachael Liston solicitors, told the court it was a particularly sad and tragic case.
Counsel said the case had settled after mediation and the settlement was without an admission of liability. It was before the court for the division of the €35,000 mental distress solatium payment only.
In the proceedings it was claimed that alleged excessive doses of an intravenous sedative and local anaesthetic had been administered and allegedly caused O’Doherty to suffer cardiac arrest. All of the claims were denied.
Antoniotti said that the Coroners Court three years ago had returned a verdict of medical misadventure in the case and the coroner had made three recommendations to the Dental Council.
These included that the code of practice relating to the administration of general anaesthesia and sedation and on resuscitation in dentistry is urgently reviewed and updated to reflect current procedures being undertaken in an outpatient dental practice setting.
Counsel told the High Court that the O’Doherty family are anxious that “something like this does not happen again” and they want to ensure that the recommendations are implemented.
O’Doherty’s husband, Michael O’Doherty from Gorey, Co Wexford had sued oral surgeon Seamus Rogers and prosthodontist Maurice Fitzgerald, who were at the time with Dublin Specialist Dentistry, which then operated at Furze Road, Sandyford, Dublin.
O’Doherty, who had damaged her dental bridge in a fall, had attended Dublin Specialist Dentistry and it was arranged she would have seven dental implants on August 18th, 2020.
The procedure was expected to take four hours, and it was claimed that O’Doherty, in the week before the surgery, enquired by email if a more conservative option of treatment was available and was allegedly advised that implants were the best option.
In the proceedings it was claimed that there was an alleged failure to take any or any sufficient care in respect of the administration and management of sedation or anaesthesia during the dental implant procedure.
It was further claimed there was an alleged failure to take any or any adequate account of the woman’s low body size, weight and age in the context of the procedure and the sedation and anaesthesia employed.
It was further contended O’Doherty suffered a type of brain injury secondary to cardiac arrest as a result of alleged improper use or management of sedation and or anaesthesia during the dental implant procedure.
All of the claims were denied.
Noting the settlement and approving the division of the solatium, Justice Paul Coffey asked that his deepest sympathy be extended to the O’Doherty family, who were not in court for the ruling.
