Dr Yaser Jabbar, who no longer works at Great Ormond Street Hospital, operated on 721 children before his suspension and is alleged to have left dozens of kids with serious injuries
The parents of a teenage boy who was operated on by the controversial surgeon Dr Yaser Jabbar have revealed that their son had to have his leg amputated shortly after the surgery. The family’s revelation comes amidst an investigation into former NHS orthopaedic surgeon Dr Jabbar, who performed operations on 721 children at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.
It is alleged that he left dozens of children with serious injuries, uneven leg lengths and some even requiring amputations due to botched surgeries. Dr Jabbar no longer works at Great Ormond Street Hospital and has not held a licence to practise medicine in the UK since January.
The family of one boy he treated, who wished to remain anonymous, shared that their son was born with a condition causing tumours to grow along his nerves. His treatment was centred around strengthening and lengthening his shinbone, as his right leg was 8cm shorter than his left.
The family claims that Dr Jabbar carried out various procedures to reduce the discrepancy in leg length and realign the limb. In 2022, they were informed that an operation to insert a supporting rod into the leg would be the “last hurdle” and their son would then be unrestricted in his activities.
However, three months post-surgery, the boy felt his leg “snap” and opted for amputation of his lower leg instead of enduring years of more painful procedures. The boy’s father stated: “Mr Jabbar destroyed years of progress for our son,” reports MyLondon.
The devastated parents recounted their son’s ordeal, saying: “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.”
They continued with heavy hearts: “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.”
The father added, “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.”
Recalling the traumatic aftermath, the boy’s dad revealed: “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.”
The teenager from Essex faced a harrowing decision and ultimately chose to have his leg amputated, a decision described by his father as a “heart-breaking moment.”
The boy’s father recounted: “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 damning report by the Royal College of Surgeons criticised Mr Jabbar’s treatment, citing his failure to obtain necessary x-rays and attempting an overly ambitious procedure. The panel also questioned the decision to realign bones that had previously healed well.
The father demanded answers from Great Ormond Street Hospital, saying: “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, from Hudgell Solicitors, expressed her dismay saying: “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.”
She added the outcome for the patient was devastating, “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.”
