The Maryland medical regulator was informed about an ongoing Irish inquiry into paediatric orthopaedic surgeon Dr Connor Green when he began working in the United States, according to the Irish Medical Council. The disclosure comes as questions remain under review in Ireland about spinal and orthopaedic procedures involving children.
What happened in this Breaking News report?
Dr Green, who previously worked at Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin, is now employed by LifeBridge Health in Baltimore, Maryland. The hospital’s website says he has joined the International Center for Limb Lengthening at Sinai Hospital and is accepting new patients.
The Irish Medical Council said Maryland’s Board of Physicians was notified that Dr Green had provided voluntary undertakings not to practise medicine in Ireland. The council stressed that it has no regulatory authority in Maryland and cannot direct or oversee his work there.
The matter remains an ongoing regulatory process. No findings have been made against Dr Green by the Irish Medical Council, and the investigation has not concluded.
Why the inquiry began
Dr Green was referred to the Medical Council by Children’s Health Ireland in 2023 after concerns emerged about aspects of paediatric orthopaedic care. The concerns involved children treated for conditions including scoliosis, spina bifida and developmental dysplasia of the hip.
Reports raised questions about postoperative complications, infections associated with orthopaedic procedures and the use of springs that were not approved for medical use. These issues remain subject to formal review rather than a final regulatory determination.
Dr Green was on leave from Temple Street for three years before resigning from Children’s Health Ireland this year. His current US role focuses on congenital and acquired limb deformity, differences in limb length, limb reconstruction and hip preservation, according to the LifeBridge Health website.
Key facts
- The Irish Medical Council said Maryland’s regulator was notified of the Irish process.
- Dr Green has given voluntary undertakings not to practise medicine in Ireland.
- The Irish investigation is ongoing and has produced no findings yet.
- He is working at LifeBridge Health in Baltimore.
What official reviews have found
A Health Information and Quality Authority review published last year examined the implantation of non-medical-grade springs in three children with scoliosis at Temple Street. The report did not name Dr Green, referring instead to “Consultant A”. It described the use of the springs as wrong and identified failures in controls that meant children were not adequately protected from the risk of harm.
The HIQA report is separate from the Medical Council’s regulatory investigation. A review of Dr Green’s orthopaedic work by Professor Selvadurai Nayagam, a retired consultant in orthopaedics and trauma from Liverpool, has not yet been published.
The Health Service Executive also announced a wider review of patients treated by Dr Green between 2016 and 2023. That examination is intended to include spinal operations, limb reconstruction procedures and surgical dislocations of the hip.
What the notification means in Maryland
The notification does not itself establish whether any action will be taken in the United States. Under the system described by the Irish Medical Council, any decision concerning Dr Green’s medical practice in Maryland belongs to the Maryland Board of Physicians.
Regulatory authorities in different jurisdictions generally operate within their own legal boundaries. Information shared between regulators can allow the receiving authority to consider licensing or practice issues under its own rules, but the Irish undertaking does not automatically determine the outcome of any Maryland process.
What happens next?
The Irish Medical Council’s investigation remains active, while the broader HSE review and the separate orthopaedic report have yet to provide their final conclusions. The council said it could not comment further because the regulatory process is continuing.
Families affected by the reviews may be seeking clarity about whether their child’s treatment is included. The available information indicates that the HSE review covers relevant procedures carried out between 2016 and 2023, but individual patients should rely on direct communication from Children’s Health Ireland or the HSE for case-specific information.
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Frequently asked questions
Has Dr Green been found guilty of wrongdoing?
No. The Irish Medical Council investigation is ongoing, and the source information states that no findings have yet been made.
Can the Irish Medical Council regulate his work in the United States?
No. The council said it has no regulatory jurisdiction in Maryland. Oversight of medical practice there falls to the Maryland Board of Physicians.
What is being reviewed in Ireland?
The reviews concern aspects of paediatric orthopaedic care, including spinal, limb reconstruction and hip procedures. The HSE’s wider review covers surgeries performed between 2016 and 2023.
Where is Dr Green working now?
He is working with LifeBridge Health in Baltimore, Maryland, at the International Center for Limb Lengthening at Sinai Hospital.
What this means for readers
This latest development confirms that the Irish regulatory process was disclosed to the relevant US state authority, but it does not represent a final decision about Dr Green’s professional status in Maryland. Families and readers should distinguish between confirmed notifications, ongoing reviews and findings that have not yet been issued.
This Breaking News Ireland story will depend on the publication of the outstanding Irish reviews and any further statement from the Medical Council, the HSE, Children’s Health Ireland or Maryland’s Board of Physicians. The key takeaway is that oversight concerns have crossed jurisdictions, while the underlying Irish investigation remains unresolved.