Yaser Jabbar report: Teenager left in ‘horrifying’ pain by disgraced Great Ormond Street surgeon

A teenager has spoken of the “horrifying” pain he endured at the hands of Great Ormond Street surgeon Yaser Jabbar.

His account emerges as a Gosh report, published on Thursday, details the severe harm caused by Mr Jabbar to dozens of children under his care.

James Wood, 19, from Great Yarmouth, was referred to Mr Jabbar at Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) when he was 12.

Mr Wood, who has multiple pterygium syndrome – a rare congenital condition affecting neuromuscular and skeletal functions – had limited movement in his knees and ankles.

In April 2019, he underwent an operation to stretch his knee tissues and lengthen his achilles tendon, which involved fixing a frame to his leg.

Within weeks, Mr Wood developed extreme pain and swelling in his right thigh.

Medics discovered that a pin from the frame had protruded into his thigh, causing significant bleeding and damage to his femoral artery upon removal. The frame was subsequently removed, and he was placed in a permanent full-length leg cast, which led to a deep pressure sore on his heel.

An independent review into his treatment ahead of Thursday’s Gosh report found “poor surgical skill” by Mr Jabbar had resulted in a pin going into Mr Wood’s thigh when the frame was fitted.

The study said the type of pins used had increased the risk of vascular injury and other pins should have been used.

The review also criticised Mr Jabbar’s apparent lack of consideration of alternative treatments to surgery, as well as poor documentation and appraisal of the risks.

Mr Wood, now a student at the University of East Anglia who is studying English literature and creative writing, said: “I was only 12 at the time, so you just trust the doctors.

“I was never right after I had that operation and was in pain from the moment the frame was put on me.

“Rather than it getting better, it began to get worse. I would get these really intense fits of pain in my right thigh for about an hour at a time. It was the worst pain I had ever felt.”

It took a long time to regain the ability to walk after the frame was removed, and Mr Wood had to return to the hospital over and over for appointments.

He still struggles with movement but has delayed treatment to his other leg owing to the trauma he has experienced.

“They tried to schedule an external fixator for my left leg, and I said no,” he said.

“I’m not letting them touch my legs again unless it’s vital, because I’m in university and I can’t handle a long recovery right now.

“If I’m in a position to in the future, I’ll do the left one, but the past trauma with my right leg makes me hesitant to go through with it as I still can’t bend it more than 90 degrees and my right foot is a bit awkwardly positioned.

“The back of my heel is mostly gone, so now my feet are drastically different sizes which makes walking and finding shoes difficult.”

Mr Wood said he struggles with stairs and his right leg sometimes “gives out”.

“It makes it a lot harder to walk longer distances and I can be slow walking.

“This experience has robbed me of my abilities from being 13. I’m still recovering to this day.

“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.

“To later find out that my surgeon was harming not only me, but many others, and was not stopped for many years, is abysmal.

“How can this ever have been allowed to happen?”

Hudgell Solicitors represents Mr Wood and is among those pursuing civil claims against Gosh on behalf of their clients.

Solicitor Caroline Murgatroyd said: “James’s case sadly reflects many others that we have seen.

“Patient reports paint a picture of a man not following recognised procedures and treatments, being allowed to carry out surgeries without full and proper consideration or consultation with patients and colleagues, and then repeatedly operating to a very poor standard and causing harm.

“The trust’s report may well offer reassurance that changes have been made to prevent this happening again, but this is of little comfort to so many children and parents who believed they were being treated in the best possible place …

“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.”