The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) was asked to review four of Mr El-Maghraby’s cases in September 2017 resulting in him being restricted from carrying out two specific surgical procedures pending further training and mentorship. it is also believed that the General Medical Council (GMC) has investigated the surgeon but as yet has taken no further action.
Kashmir Uppal confirmed that she and her team were acting on behalf of four patients including Amanda Bridgman (Stephen Bridgman’s widow) and Judith Mills - both cases that received high profile coverage in recent BBC and press reports.
Stephen Bridgman, from Redditch was left in a vegetative state after Mr El-Maghraby operated on his benign brain tumour in 2016. His brain had been irreparably damaged following heavy bleeding and he died shortly afterwards. His widow, Amanda, requested her husband's medical notes and found a short video was included showing parts of the surgery. When shown by the BBC to Chris Adams, head of neurological surgery at the former Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford, Mr Adams reportedly commented: ‘This is very, very rough surgery. In fact, I'm appalled by it frankly. I have never seen this sort of tumour removed in this way. It's just completely contrary to how one does neurosurgery.’
Mr El-Maghraby also operated on Judith Mills, who had severe back problems including curvature of the spine, in 2014. However, some days later, after concern over the correct positioning of spinal screws, Ms Mills underwent a second emergency operation by another surgeon. More than four years on, Ms Mills is incontinent and virtually unable to walk. Prior to the original surgery she had no bladder problems and was perfectly mobile. Records of Ms Mills treatment shown by the BBC to experts in spinal surgery have drawn similar critical comments of Mr El-Maghraby’s practice and competence.
Kashmir Uppal commented:
‘The issues in all four cases we are now instructed upon are similar, which raises genuine concerns regarding Mr El-Maghraby’s expertise in the type of surgical procedures he is performing. We are concerned that simply restricting the types of procedures Mr El-Maghraby performs is an insufficient response to the seriousness of the failings in the operative procedures he performed.’
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