Rogue surgeon who performed unnecessary mastectomies on patients jailed

“Monster” surgeon jailed for 15 years.

Former breast surgeon Ian Paterson has been jailed for 15 years after he was found guilty of unnecessary mastectomies to several patients, and was convicted of multiple counts of wounding with intent.

This is a unique case – we hope victims will find some comfort in this decision, although we know the lifelong effects of his criminal activity may never be repairable.

Paterson was a surgeon at a number of hospitals in the West Midlands including NHS hospitals (Heartlands hospital, Good Hope hospital and Solihull hospital) and private hospitals (Spire Healthcare’s Little Aston and Parkway hospitals), where he reportedly convinced a number of patients that they had, or were at the risk of, breast cancer.

He was sentenced by Judge Jeremy Baker at the Nottingham Crown Court after a seven week trial earlier this year. The Judge highlighted Paterson’s disconcerting actions:

“You deliberately played upon their worst fears, either by inventing or deliberately exaggerating the risk that they would develop cancer, and thereby gained their trust and confidence to consent to the surgical procedures which you carried out upon them.“

NHS pay out millions to victims

A number of his victims spoke in court and gave harrowing accounts of how Paterson left them scarred and disfigured, and how he left some of his victims with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. Hundreds have come forward and the NHS may be liable for millions of pounds in damages to victims.

Paterson was also found to be performing an unrecognised and unregistered type of surgery known as “cleavage sparing mastectomies” which involved leaving patients more vulnerable to the recurrence of cancerous tissues in the breast. It has since been revealed by the NHS that 68 women suffered a relapse in cancer that is said to have been due to Paterson’s dangerous surgery.

Victims left disfigured and scarred for life

In the 31 years he was a qualified medical professional, it’s estimated Paterson may have had nearly 1,000 victims. He has been branded a “monster” and many of his victims noted his “God complex”, where he enjoyed being in control of his patients’ lives.

John Ingram was a patient of Paterson’s who was convinced he had a cancerous lump in his breast that could only be treated with a mastectomy. However, it was later discovered that the lump in his breast was benign and Mr Ingram didn’t need the surgery in the first place.

He said he had been convicted of “what I call dark and grotesque crimes”.

Another one of his victims was only 16 when she found a lump in her breast. Jade Edgington was introduced to Paterson at Spire, and by the time she was 19, she had undergone four surgical procedures. She was later told that only one out of the four surgeries was necessary and the lumps that he had found were not at risk of becoming cancerous. She heartbreakingly said:

“Why put us all through that? You almost feel violated – essentially someone has stuck their knife in me unnecessarily.”

If you have been affected by this, we can help. Although we cannot reverse his awful actions we can help you to gain financial compensation for the distress and disfigurement caused. If you think you could be eligible get in touch with one of our Injury Lawyers today.