An orthopedic surgeon under investigation in Ireland over surgical care of children with severe spinal conditions has obtained a Maryland medical license and is now treating patients at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. Connor Green secured his license in November 2025 and joined the hospital's International Center for Limb Lengthening, with no practice restrictions placed on him by the state.
A Credentialing Process That Surfaced the Irish Inquiry
According to The Baltimore Banner, LifeBridge Health, which operates Sinai Hospital, says Green was transparent about the ongoing inquiry during the hospital's credentialing process. LifeBridge spokesperson Sharon Boston said the health system knew matters related to Green's previous practice in Ireland were under review when he joined, and that he provided multiple verified references from Irish colleagues who recommended him without reservation. Sinai granted him privileges focused specifically on limb lengthening and reconstruction, not spine surgery, the Banner reports, and the hospital says it will review findings from the Irish Medical Council investigation and any other relevant information once available.
Green's LifeBridge provider page describes his practice as centered on congenital and acquired limb deformity, limb length discrepancy, limb reconstruction, and hip preservation, treating both adults and children. He trained in orthopedics at Sinai just over a decade before this reporting, according to the Banner. The Maryland Board of Physicians said Green met the state's requirements for a medical license, and the Irish Medical Council shared information about him with the board. Green declined the Banner's request for comment.
What Happened in Dublin
Green went on leave from Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street in 2023 and resigned from the position last fall after taking that voluntary leave, per the Banner's reporting. He has not been officially sanctioned in Ireland and voluntarily agreed to stop practicing medicine there, the newspaper reports; the Irish Medical Council has said the undertakings are interim and pending conclusion of the complaint process. Jo Twamley said the council is aware of serious concerns about pediatric spinal surgery and reports of Green's resignation.
The scrutiny traces back to national authorities requesting that Ireland's Health Information and Quality Authority review care for pediatric surgical patients. HIQA found that metal springs were implanted in three children with life-limiting spinal deformities, according to the Health Information and Quality Authority. The springs were not approved for use in the European Union or Ireland and were not medical grade, meaning they could deteriorate, the authority's report found — made of non-alloyed spring steel, which HIQA stated is not used for surgical implantation.
Oversight and Consent Failures Flagged by Regulators
HIQA's report concluded that use of the springs as surgical implants was wrong and that children were not protected from the risk of harm. Investigators found no evidence that ethical approval was sought from any ethical research committee in CHI before the technique was introduced, and determined that the request for consent from families did not comply with the HSE's National Consent Policy 2013. HIQA also found that hospital officials failed to thoroughly inform parents about potential risks, and the report characterized the procedure as experimental, reporting that the children were receiving ongoing care.
Irish media and lawmakers identified Green as “Surgeon A” in the HIQA report, per the Banner. Surgeon A told investigators that experimental procedures in children's surgery are not uncommon given the complexity of such operations, and described the spring procedure as a bespoke solution for a small patient group using an existing technique at an experimental stage of development. Green told the Banner he would have engaged with the hospital ethics committee if asked. HIQA's review of implant governance produced 19 recommendations in total, nine for Children's Health Ireland, nine for HSE-provided and funded health services nationally, and one shared between HSE and funded services and private hospitals.
A Settlement and a Broader Review
The health system reached a legal settlement this year with the family of a girl who received a spring implant at age 5; she is now 11 and allegedly suffered severe complications after the implant, according to the Banner. Lawyers for the girl's family said the system shattered her pelvis, a metal rod protruded from her body, and she suffered repeated infections. The Irish Medical Council review of Green and the broader program continues, the Banner reports.
Beyond Green's individual case, the Health Service Executive has announced it is reviewing patients whose surgeries, including spinal, limb-reconstruction and surgical hip-dislocation procedures, were carried out between 2016 and 2023, as The Irish Times has reported. A second phase of a separate external review is examining the wider systems of governance and capacity in orthopaedic services at Children's Health Ireland, the paper reported in September. Sean Egan said children, families and the public must be assured that surgical services are safe and that governance structures are appropriate.
Questions for Maryland Patients
Doctors in Maryland are typically permitted to keep working while complaints against them are investigated, often without patients knowing, the Banner's reporting notes. Robert Steinbrook said it is concerning that Maryland licensed an Irish physician who voluntarily stopped practicing in Ireland while the Irish Medical Council's review continues, adding that relevant facts should be made public so patients and families can make informed decisions about their care. The Banner's report was authored by Meredith Cohn, with Shayla Colon contributing.
