94 patients were harmed by Great Ormond Street surgeon, review finds
Some 94 patients suffered harm at the hands of a Great Ormond Street orthopaedic surgeon, a report has concluded.
Yaser Jabbar treated hundreds of children from 2017 to 2022 at Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) in London, with independent experts saying in a new review that his surgery fell well below the level expected in several areas.
Many patients came to harm during botched operations or were left in pain, with some going on to need further surgery.
Proper consent was also not obtained in some cases, while Mr Jabbar also had an “unjustified preference for certain surgical techniques including unconventional or unrecognised procedures”.
The report added: “There were instances of premature removal of fixation devices, the combination of procedures without clear rationale, inadequate counselling on fracture risk, and an over-reliance on junior staff.
“There were some serious problems found, including poor planning before surgery, not making the area stable enough, unclear or incomplete notes, and putting implants in the wrong place.
“Other issues were making cuts in the bone at the wrong level or using the wrong method, making decisions that didn’t match what was seen in the scans during surgery, problems with how frames and pins were used, and not involving the wider team when dealing with infections.”
Analysis of case reports into the surgeon’s practice said “there were instances where the procedure undertaken differed from what was originally consented to, with no proper record for the rationale for changes.
“Many families said they were not given clear explanations about treatment options, risks, or why certain decisions were made.
“They were often confused about the purpose of procedures, expected results, and alternatives.
“Several families reported raising concerns directly with Mr Jabbar, but they felt these were usually dismissed.”
Assessors carried out clinical case reviews for all 789 of Mr Jabbar’s patients and found a total of 94 patients came to harm under his care. Of these, he operated on 91.
Of the 94 children directly harmed by Mr Jabbar, 36 suffered severe harm while under the care of the surgeon, who worked on lower limb reconstruction.
A further 39 patients came to moderate harm and 19 patients came to mild harm, while 642 did not come to harm that could be attributable to the surgeon.
Mr Jabbar is understood to live abroad and no longer has a licence to practise medicine in the UK.
Matthew Shaw, chief executive of Gosh, said in a statement: “We are profoundly sorry to all the patients and their families who have been affected by the care provided by Mr Jabbar.
“The report we have published today sets out in full what happened, what we found in our review of patients, what we have learnt and what we have done as a consequence.
“We have made significant changes to both the orthopaedic service itself and across the hospital to minimise the chance of something like this happening again. Many of these changes are designed to help spot potential issues before they become a risk to patient care.
“We know this comes too late for the families affected by this issue, but we are committed to ensuring our hospital is a better and safer place for all current and future patients.”
Great Ormond Street commissioned a Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) review in September 2022 following complaints about Mr Jabbar.
The surgeon went on a planned, unpaid sabbatical in October 2022 and officially resigned the following year.
The RCS concluded its findings in October 2023.
According to Gosh, when concerns were raised in 2022, it looked back at Mr Jabbar’s work since 2017.
In that time, there had been seven complaints about him and one serious incident (SI).
It said one complaint related to his communication style, another related to care provided and the remainder related to delays to treatment due to him being absent from the hospital.
The SI in 2021 was “thoroughly investigated”, with a second opinion sought from an external orthopaedic consultant, Gosh said. It said none of the complaints suggested further investigation or action was needed.
In the subsequent RCS report, experts described how the Gosh department was seen by some staff as “toxic” and some consultants “kept themselves to themselves”.
The latest review, published on Thursday, was carried out by a group of independent, paediatric, orthopaedic consultants from other UK hospitals.
The family of one 12-year-old boy, who was harmed, said he still suffers nightmares and will be affected for the rest of his life.
Vivaan Sharma, from Hertfordshire, was seven when surgeon Mr Jabbar decided to carry out leg-lengthening surgery on him.
HIs father, Viresh, said: “He was just seven when he underwent surgery, which has now been found to have been completely unsuitable, with independent experts finding no justification for why he was subjected to it.
“It’s appalling. Our boy will be affected for life.”
Elsewhere, a teenager who suffered severe harm said the “traumatic” experience had left him in “horrifying” pain.
James Wood, 19, from Great Yarmouth, first encountered Mr Jabbar when he was referred to him at the age of 12.
Mr Wood was born with multiple pterygium syndrome, a rare congenital condition that mainly affects neuromuscular and skeletal functions.
It causes skin webbing across the joints and, in Mr Wood’s case, it limited movement in his knees and ankles.
He was referred to Mr Jabbar in September 2018 and underwent an operation in April 2019 which saw a frame fixed to his leg with the aim of stretching the tissues in his knee.
He also underwent an Achilles tendon lengthening procedure.
Just a few weeks later, Mr Wood began to suffer extreme pain and swelling in his right thigh.
An ultrasound identified a large collection of fluid and medics discovered one of the pins used to secure the frame had protruded into Mr Wood’s thigh.
When it was removed, there was a lot of bleeding and surgeons noted damage to his femoral artery.
The frame was removed and Mr Wood was then placed in a permanent full-length leg cast to support his leg.
He developed a deep pressure sore to his heel.
An independent review for Gosh into his treatment found “poor surgical skill” by Mr Jabbar had resulted in a pin going into Mr Wood’s thigh when the frame was fitted.
It said the type of pins used had increased the risk of vascular injury and other pins should have been used.
Mr Wood, a student at the University of East Anglia, said: “I missed a lot of my formative, high school experiences and it left me quite lonely in my childhood because I spent my early teenage years in recovery.
“It was all incredibly traumatic and the pain is still horrifying and has had a long-term impact.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “We are in contact with Great Ormond Street Hospital in relation to this matter.
“We will review the report commissioned by Gosh and assess whether there is any requirement for police involvement.”
Solicitor Caroline Murgatroyd, from Hudgell Solicitors, which represents some patients affected, said: “We will be pursuing damages on behalf of our clients to ensure they are awarded compensation which reflects the pain and suffering caused, and helps cover the costs of any required rehabilitation, therapies and equipment.”
NHS England’s London region is now carrying out a review into Gosh’s handling of the case.
Published: by Radio NewsHub