At least 1,800 children who had hip dysplasia surgery are to be medically reviewed following an audit which found surgeons in Cappagh & Temple Street hospitals were carrying out a high number of unnecessary operations.

In Temple Street, 51 out of 85 surgeries that were examined in the report were found to be unnecessary, and the same was said for 55 out of 70 surgeries in Cappagh.

All patients who have undergone the surgery since 2010 are to be offered follow-up clinic appointments, and a dedicated helpline has also been set up for parents.

Elaine Flanagan’s daughter Harlow underwent the surgery after an X-ray revealed her hips were off by one millimetre on either side.

Ms Flanagan told The Hard Shoulder she felt there was a “bit of coercion going on” in convincing her of the necessity of the procedure.

“When [Harlow] started to walk, I noticed that she was a bit unsteady on her feet,” she said.

“She would kind of bump into walls and trip over a lot.

“So, on her right foot, it was turned in slightly.”

Ms Flanagan said she brought Harlow to the GP, from which an X-ray was taken that showed her hips were off.

“We went to see the orthopaedic consultant and he basically said that she needed to have this surgery where they remove bone from the pelvis and connect it to both of her sockets on her hips," she said.

“Myself and my husband obviously were very shocked by this because we initially just thought there was a problem with one of her feet; her right foot in particular.

“The surgeon had said it was a coincidental find and he didn’t believe it was related to the foot issue, or maybe when the hips are corrected the foot would correct itself.”

Cropped image of woman receiving foot massage. Image: Wavebreak Media ltd / Alamy. 5 April 2016

According to Ms Flanagan, after re-examining her daughter’s medical charts, she feels she “wasn’t fully informed to make the actual consent”.

“She didn’t have a clicky hip, so she wasn’t complaining with pain or anything like that at all," she said.

"I didn’t know that the foot wasn’t related to the hips until after she had the surgery, then the doctor had said it was unrelated and a coincidental find."

Ms Flanagan said she has since been made aware through seeking a second opinion that Harlow did not necessarily need surgical intervention, and her condition may have repaired itself naturally as she grew.

She is now concerned that Harlow could have arthritis in the area on which she was operated.

Affected parents seeking further information can call the Children's Health Ireland helpline on 1800 807 050.

The line is open Monday to Friday from 8am - 8pm, and Saturday's and Sunday's from 9am - 5pm.

Main image: Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin, © PA Wire/PA Images