A ‘rogue surgeon’ who treated 721 children left some youngsters with deformities and life-changing injuries, a report has alleged.
A consultant orthopaedic surgeon had worked for years at the Great Ormond Street Hospital which treats children suffering from serious illnesses.
But an investigation by The Sunday Times has claimed that at least 22 of their patients were harmed under their care.
Among them, according to the newspaper, one child had to have a leg amputated. Another may soon have to have a limb amputated.
Other patients were left with legs at different lengths, sometimes by as much as 20cm. Many live with chronic pain.
The youngest harmed was allegedly only four months old at the point of surgery.
Of 37 cases reviewed by hospital officials so far, 13 suffered ‘serious harm’, meaning their injuries may be lifelong.
One father told The Sunday Times his son underwent a leg-straightening and lengthening procedure conducted by the surgeon at the hospital’s ‘lower limb reconstruction service in north London in 2021.
Leg lengthening surgery sees the child, asleep and under general anaesthesia, have their leg bone surgically broken and metal pins or screws inserted.
A metal frame, such as an Ilizarov, is attached to the screws in the bone and will for several months ‘crank’ the snapped bone apart. This creates an ever-growing gap between the ends of the cut bone, which heals to form new bone, lengthening the leg.
‘After a couple of days the frame became loose and my child was in a lot of pain,’ the father told The Sunday Times.
‘You could feel the bone in his leg, which felt out of position like it wasn’t lined up and was protruding the wrong way.’
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The father alleged that when he made an official complaint, the family ‘heard nothing back’.
‘Everything was being brushed under the carpet,’ he said of how hospital officials handled his concerns.
The surgeon stepped down last year and has not had a medical licence for several months.
The Royal College of Surgeons investigated their practice and the wider orthopaedic department, describing it as ‘dysfunctional’ in an October report seen by the newspaper.
The surgeon had shown ‘unacceptable and unprofessional behaviour’ at times, the professional body found.
The Care Quality Commission, a hospital watchdog, said in its 2020 inspection of Great Ormond Street Hospital that it is ‘overall, good’. It was graded good or higher in all areas, including efficiency, leadership and care, other than safety, which was classified as ‘requirements improvement’.
The hospital has launched a review of 721 children seen by the surgeon, with apologies issued to families affected.
A Great Ormond Street Hospital spokesperson told The Sunday Times: ‘We will ensure that all the findings of this review are addressed at pace, and we will reflect on any wider learnings around our culture.
‘We have contacted all patients and families who have been impacted and where harm has been identified, discussed their cases with them under our duty of candour. To all of them, we wish to convey our sincere apologies.’
The surgeon declined to comment to The Sunday Times.
Great Ormond Street Hospital has been approached for comment.
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