Brain surgeon denies letting daughter, 12, drill into patient’s head

A brain surgeon has denied claims that she allowed her 12-year-old daughter to partake in an emergency procedure.

A court in Graz, Austria, this week heard how the medic allegedly allowed the child to drill a hole into a patient's skull in January 2024.

The bizarre surgical scandal began when a farm worker, 33, was rushed to the University Hospital Graz after a heavy branch had fallen on his head.

He was brought in with brain trauma and at the end of the emergency surgery, doctors performed a minor procedure which involved inserting a probe to measure intracranial pressure.

To do so, a hole had to be drilled into the man's skull - and the senior surgeon's adolescent daughter is alleged to have done the honours.

The youngster - who is said to be interested in the medical field - was revising in a room next door and begged her mother to allow her to watch the operation, according to The Times.

Citing local media reports, the outlet claims that the brain surgeon told the court: "I didn’t get into any lengthy discussions, but let myself be persuaded to say, ‘Yes, come on then.’"

The 12-year-old allegedly drilled a hole into the patient's head during the emergency procedure last year (Getty Stock Image)

She said her 'biggest mistake' was allowing her child to get close to the operating table, to which judge Gundula Neudeck responded: "Your biggest mistake was probably taking her there in the first place; a child has no business being there."

The 12-year-old was given surgical scrubs and joined the team in the operating theatre, and her mother told the court that the operation was successful and the patient was saved.

The surgeon claims she then left to make a phone call while leaving her junior colleague in charge while they drilled a hole into the man's skull.

She alleges that she had no idea whether her daughter's hands had been on the drill when it was applied to the patient's head, although her fellow surgeon claims the child did in fact assist him.

He told the court the daughter asked if she could help, explaining: "I was surprised by the question, but I didn’t refuse it, which was a huge mistake."

The medic - who has already been sacked, alongside his female superior - said he was under the impression that the unnamed mum had approved of this.

He told the Austrian court that the girl placed her hand on the stick-shaped drill, but that he had never relinquished control of it, explaining that he dictated the positioning of it and had his foot on the pedal which controlled its speed.

"I was always in control of the pedal and always in control of the drill,” he tearfully said.

"You are proud that you have taken good care of the patient, but you only realise later that a mistake has been made that is morally and ethically unacceptable."

The brain surgeon bragged to staff at the University Hospital Graz about her daughter's achievement, the court heard (Getty Stock Image)

An anaesthetist who was present claimed she had seen four hands on the drill, two of which were the 12-year-old's.

Despite claiming she doesn't know whether her daughter operated the drill, the brain surgeon bragged that her child had just drilled her first hole, while in the intensive care unit discussing the operation with her surgical team and her daughter.

Asked why she had made this statement if it was supposedly false, she said: "Out of stupid maternal pride. Out of bloody stupid maternal pride."

The young girl turned down the opportunity to testify in court, while the patient was unable to testify earlier this week because he was unwell.

Stefan Wolfsberger, the head of neurosurgery at the University Hospital Graz, said that a lot of patients 'are afraid' of undergoing surgery there because of the incident.

"This is terrible," he said. "The case is known all over the world, people from every continent are talking to me about it."

Prosecutor Julia Steiner told the court that the seriousness of the surgical scandal - which came to light when hospital management received an anonymous tip off - 'simply cannot be played down'.

She said: "What would have happened if the drill had been defective and had not stopped automatically after breaking through the skull bone? All of this showed incredible disrespect towards the patient and one’s own colleagues."

Although both surgeons have been fired from the hospital, they face the prospect of being found guilty of causing bodily harm by letting an untrained person treat a patient, which carries a prison sentence of up to one year or a fine.

The case has been adjourned until December 10.

LADbible has contacted the University Hospital Graz for comment.