The parents of twin girls who both underwent surgery to correct a hip condition have spoken of their unease after receiving a pair of letters informing them that a clinical review is under way into the type of operation carried out on their daughters.
Emily and Kevin Flynn's daughters Isabelle and Olivia were three years old when they had surgery in February 2023 to treat developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), a condition that affects how the hip joint forms in young children.
The girls had been monitored for around 18 months before an operation was recommended. The couple now feel in the dark about whether it was the right decision.
The letters state that a clinical audit of a 'random and anonymised' sample is under way to examine DDH surgeries carried out between 2021 and 2023. The audit was prompted by a possibility that the threshold criteria being used for surgical intervention may have been different across Children's Health Ireland (CHI) sites in Dublin - Crumlin, Temple Street and the National Orthopedic Hospital Cappagh (NOHC).
"We were in a bit of shock," Mr Flynn said of receiving the letters pertaining to his daughters' care.
"We thought everything was fine. Then we read the letters and had no idea what they were talking about," he added.
The couple say the correspondence arrived without warning and raised questions they had never previously considered.
"Up until we received the letter, we assumed we had done the right thing. We feel sick to our stomachs now," Ms Flynn said.
While surgery is often required to treat DDH, in some cases the condition can resolve on its own over time without the need for surgical intervention.
"We were advised that if we had not got the surgery on the twins, that they will need hip replacements by the time they're 30," Mr Flynn said.
"So, you're hearing that and you're like, 'Whoa. We have to do it,'" he added.
Isabelle and Olivia, who are now five, underwent surgery on the same morning in February 2023. Their parents tried to shield them from the reality of what was ahead.
"I will never forget scooping them out of their bed at six in the morning. Putting them in the car, them wondering, 'Where am I going? What’s going on?’" Ms Flynn said.
After the surgery, the recovery was long and painful - both physically and emotionally.
"It was like starting again," Mr Flynn said, "the girls being babies - you're lifting them out of bed, into bed, lifting them onto the toilet, off the toilet. Just managing them."
Follow up appointments all suggest the surgery had worked well and the girls are in good health. The letters received on 19 March arrived "out of the blue," Mr Flynn recalled.
The correspondence outlined how the draft audit had made recommendations in relation to follow-up care and said if additional appointments were necessary the family would be contacted.
It included an email address for queries - but the couple say they were unable to get any concrete information in response.
CHI has said it recognises the concerns of families adding it is committed to expediting the audit process, publishing the findings and implementing any required actions.
"When the audit is complete, we will prioritise open and transparent communication with our patient families," it said.
The Flynns say they believe hip dysplasia was present in their girls, but they now wonder would it have resolved itself without surgery.
"All we want to know is, did they need it? Did they meet the threshold?" Mr Flynn said.
"The outcome of this could be fine and the kids could have made the threshold," Mr Flynn said.
"We have hope. We're just waiting for an answer."
An interview with Emily and Kevin Flynn is broadcast on the 15 May edition of Prime Time at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player.
