A British surgeon has been dismissed from his position after an operation to remove a tumor resulted in a severe surgical error, creating a "closed loop" that prevented a patient from having bowel movements and nearly proved fatal.
Dr. Yasser Adly Abdel Rahman, a surgeon with the NHS, performed emergency bowel surgery on a patient at Royal Oldham Hospital in Greater Manchester for tumor removal. In conjunction with another surgeon, Rahman opted for a procedure that connected the small intestine and the stomach, a method described as "not known to man" and "not compatible with life" by expert testimony.
The critical error occurred when the wrong section of the intestine was accidentally connected to the stomach, forming a loop where the patient's bowel contents could only travel back into the stomach. This created a condition where waste had "nowhere to go apart from back into the stomach in a circular fashion."
Following the procedure, the patient experienced increasing pain and vomiting, with no bowel movements for several weeks. Despite these symptoms, Rahman reportedly appeared unconcerned and assured the patient and their family that his bowels would soon function normally.
Approximately one month after the initial surgery, another colorectal surgeon, Dr. Anthony Rate, took over the patient's care following concerns raised by the family. Dr. Rate performed a second surgery, successfully salvaging some of the bowel and establishing a stoma, a surgical opening in the abdomen for waste elimination.
An expert witness at the tribunal, Anthony Blower, a former consultant general and colorectal surgeon, described Rahman's decision as "as bad as it gets for a consultant surgeon." Blower stated that the patient "would have died in the post-operative period if it was not for the intervention" of Dr. Rate. He also noted that the initial connection of the stomach and intestine would have been "extremely difficult" due to the presence of a large tumor.
During the tribunal proceedings, Dr. Rahman claimed he believed there was a "witch hunt" against him and asserted an "unblemished record" spanning 30 years. However, the tribunal concluded that Rahman showed no "remorse, empathy, or recognition of the impact on" the patient and made "no attempt at an apology." Consequently, he was removed from the hospital's medical register, with an immediate suspension in place should he decide to appeal the decision.