A BRAIN surgeon in Austria is under fire for allegedly allowing her 13-year-old daughter to drill a hole in a patient’s skull.
A 33-year-old man was flown to University Hospital Graz, in Styria, in January with serious head injuries following an accident in an Austrian forest.
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The unnamed female neurosurgeon is alleged to have allowed her teenage daughter to participate in the emergency surgery, according to Austria’s Kronen Zeitung.
The newspaper reported that she was even allowed to drill a hole in the patient’s skull.
The surgery was successful, but in April, an anonymous tip-off to Graz public prosecutor’s office prompted an investigation.
The patient found out about the incident from the news, only to have the police tell him in July that he was the victim.
Read more on brain surgery
Peter Freiberger, his lawyer, said “You lie there, unwilling, unconscious and become [a] guinea pig.
“There’s probably no other way to put it… that’s not possible. You can’t do that.”
He added that everyone involved in the surgery shared responsibility and that the hospital hadn’t reached out to the alleged victim after the revelations, according to Bild
“There was no contact, no explanation or apology, nothing. That is simply undignified,” Peter was quoted as saying.
The surgeon and one other employee, a specialist who was present during the operation, are said to have been let go by the hospital.
A trauma surgery specialist said he “doesn’t understand” how anyone could allow a child to perform surgery.
“An operating theatre belongs to people who have a job to do there and no one else,” Manfred Bogner told Servus TV.
He added: “And a child should not be given a drill and allowed to drill away at the bone of a seriously injured person.”
Graz University Hospital said in a statement seen by The Telegraph that the investigation into the entire surgical team was ongoing but “as of yet, there is no concrete evidence that the daughter herself took actual part in the operation”.
It continued: “The hospital’s management would like to express its utmost regret and extend its sincere apologies for this incident, and is working to fully clarify the matter.”
What is brain surgery?
Brain surgery is a procedure that treats brain abnormalities or issues within your brain and the surrounding areas.
The brain is part of your central nervous system.
It controls your ability to speak, move, think and remember. Brain surgery treats underlying conditions in, on or around your brain without disrupting your body’s important functions.
There may be several reasons why someone would need brain surgery. A surgeon might remove some of your brain (for seizures) or a growth in your brain (brain tumour).
Brain surgery can relieve pressure on your brain, whether it be from blood or increased cerebrospinal fluid (hydrocephalus).
Surgeons can also treat abnormal blood vessels, such as aneurysms.
Risks are possible with brain surgery and you’ll need to stay in the hospital after your procedure so your care team can monitor your healing.
Source: Cleveland Clinic
