The parents of a teenage boy operated on by controversial surgeon Dr Yaser Jabbar have told of how he had to have his leg amputated shortly afterwards. The family spoke out amid a probe into former NHS orthopaedic surgeon Dr Jabbar who operated on 721 children at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London.
It is alleged he left dozens of children with serious serious injuries, different leg lengths and some requiring amputations due to bodged surgery. He no longer works at Great Ormond Street Hospital and has not had a licence to practise medicine in the UK since January.
The family of one boy he treated, who asked to remain anonymous, have told how he was born with a condition that caused tumours to grow along the nerves. His treatment was focused on strengthening and lengthening his shinbone, as his right leg was 8cm shorter than his left.
The family say Dr Jabbar carried out various procedures to reduce the leg length discrepancy and realign the limb. In 2022, they were told an operation to insert a supporting rid into the leg would be the “last hurdle” and their son would be unrestricted in his activities.
But three months after the surgery, the boy felt his leg “snap” and he chose to have his lower leg amputated instead of having years of more painful procedures. The boy’s father said: “Mr Jabbar destroyed years of progress for our son.
“He made all of the years of surgeries and struggles completely worthless, and it has been heart-breaking, We trusted Mr Jabbar. He was friendly, jokey, and actually a really likeable chap, who basically told you as parents not to worry. He gave the impression that no matter how complex the problem, he was the man to sort it.
“He always promised our son that he’d resolve his issues, get his legs the same length and leave him able to wear normal trainers like the other kids. That is what he has always wanted as he has worn medical shoes with raised soles all his life.
“He said he was going to insert the rod and that it was the final hurdle to overcome for our son to be left in a much better position for the rest of his life. Basically though, when our son left hospital after Mr Jabbar had inserted that rod, it was a ticking time-bomb.”
The boy’s dad said his son, who was 14 at the time, was “in agony” after his leg snapped after the surgery. The teenager, of Essex, then decided to have his leg amputated, which was a “heart-breaking moment.”
The boy’s dad said: “Just weeks after the surgery he felt his leg snap and he was in agony. His foot was just left flapping around. When it was found the rod had a hole in it, which had left it weak, and that Mr Jabbar had also put it in the wrong position, he was so blasé over it.
“He said to us that he ‘couldn’t believe it’ and that it could be sorted. But by then it was a case of having to re-fuse the bones, which had been further damaged, and face yet more surgery. Our son just said ‘cut it off’ as he’d simply had enough. That was a heart-breaking moment.”
A panel from the Royal College of Surgeons, made multiple criticisms of the treatment provided by Mr Jabbar. This included a failure to obtain required x-rays to assess the suitability of the surgeries he planned.
It highlighted how Mr Jabbar attempted “a massive lengthening” in one procedure when trying to resolve the boy’s leg length discrepancy, which was “extreme.”
The panel also said it could not understand why a procedure to realign bones had been carried out given the area had previously healed well from treatment. The boy’s father said: “We now want to know exactly what Great Ormond Street Hospital knew about this surgeon and when.
“Our son ended up with an amputation in 2022, and we now know people had complained about him well before then. We want to know what they didn’t know too, because that would indicate a lack of supervision and monitoring. They should’ve known what was going on much sooner. It is simply unacceptable.”
Caroline Murgatroyd, of Hudgell Solicitors, said: “Mr Jabbar was a surgeon not following acceptable practice, not consulting with other specialists over very complex surgery and treatment as he should have been, and whose poor decision making led a Royal College of Surgeons panel to conclude he lacked the required experience. His assessments, examinations, diagnosis, clinical decision making and treatment were all found to be unacceptable.
“There cannot be a more damning review of a patient’s treatment, and for this boy it came at a huge cost, as having been through years of surgery, all of which was aimed at saving his leg. He ended up having an amputation following the failed treatment at the hands of Mr Jabbar.”