I was butchered at the hands of an evil surgeon who made me have a mastectomy for nothing – he mutilated me and made ME pay for it
- Debbie Douglas, now 66, had to have a mastectomy by Dr Ian Paterson
A woman has told how she was forced to undergo an ‘unnecessary’ mastectomy by a disgraced surgeon who mutilated her and forced her to pay for it.
Debbie Douglas, now 66, from Birmingham, had to undergo the serious surgery and reconstruction by Dr Ian Paterson just days after discovering a lump in her breast in 2003.
Six weeks later, the mother-of-three began chemotherapy, quickly losing all her hair and feeling extremely unwell for six months.
It wasn’t until a decade later that Ms. Douglas discovered that all she needed was a lumpectomy, and that she was one of a thousand Paterson patients who had undergone unnecessary surgery.
Paterson – branded ‘The Butcher Surgeon’ – is now serving a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of 17 counts of wounding with intent in 2017.
An investigation into the deaths of 62 of his former patients began this week – believed to be one of the largest ever in Britain.
Debbie Douglas, now 66, (pictured) had to undergo the serious operation by Dr Ian Paterson just days after discovering a lump in her breast in 2003
Ian Paterson (pictured) is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of 17 counts of wounding with intent in 2017
Speak with The sunMrs Douglas said: ‘I was told he was the best adviser and I was very lucky to have him.
‘He felt where the lump was and said this is really going to hurt. He poked it a few times and it was like having a red-hot poker in your chest.’
She added: ‘It was so painful.’
When Ms Douglas woke up after the operation, she said she had been cut ‘from hip to hip’, adding that even her navel had disappeared as part of the reconstruction surgery.
The surgeon had used the fat and muscle from the stomach to provide blood flow to her new breasts.
In 2020, survivors of the disgraced breast surgeon vowed to ensure lessons were learned from a damning report – as relatives of those who died after Paterson’s operations called him out for manslaughter.
Ms Douglas said all recommendations from Bishop Graham James’ inquiry should be implemented.
In September 2017, more than 750 patients treated by Paterson received compensation from a £37 million fund.
A decade later, Ms Douglas discovered she only needed a lumpectomy, and was one of 1,000 Paterson patients who had undergone unnecessary surgery
Giving a first-hand account of the research, Ms Douglas added: ‘If you were a Paterson patient you were 50 per cent more likely to get breast cancer again because you were left with breast tissue, essentially a time bomb. in your chest, ready to explode and ready to give you cancer because he didn’t remove it.”
Ms Douglas welcomed the referral of individuals as part of the investigation to authorities, including police.
She said: “The fight will continue until the legislation is changed. We don’t want anyone from the government to pay us lip service. It makes me sick.
‘Lessons are only learned when legislation changes. You look at the GMC – why is that consultant still working when people have reported the same consultant over and over again?’