The Medical Practices Council in Britain issued a decision to permanently dismiss a surgeon from his job, after he committed a serious error that almost cost a patient his life during an emergency surgery to remove a tumor in the intestines.
According to the investigation, the surgeon mistakenly connected the patient's small intestine to the stomach, in a procedure described as "incompatible with life".
On August 25, 2020, Dr. Yasser Adel Abdel Rahman was working as a temporary surgeon at the Royal Oldham Hospital in Manchester, just days after starting his job there. He performed an emergency operation on a patient suffering from a tumor in his small intestine, along with a dead section of the intestine due to perforation and necrosis—a life-threatening condition requiring immediate surgical intervention.
Dr. Abdul Rahman is an Egyptian surgeon who obtained his medical qualifications in Egypt in 1993.
During the four-hour procedure, Dr. Abdul Rahman severed the small intestine and connected it to the stomach, believing he was preserving the continuity of the digestive system. In a statement, he said that, in collaboration with a vascular surgeon, he decided to perform the procedure to connect the intestine to the stomach in order to maintain this continuity.
He added that a test was then conducted to ensure that there were no blockages hindering the functioning of the digestive system.
But this procedure was completely wrong, as it caused the contents of the intestines to return to the stomach in a circular fashion, causing the formation of a "closed loop" that prevented the passage of food and bowel movement for three weeks.
Following the operation, the patient experienced increasing pain that became "uncontrollable ," along with persistent vomiting and complete cessation of bowel movements. Despite these clear indications of surgical failure, Dr. Abdul Rahman informed the patient's family that the surgery had been successful, and he disregarded the concerns of the nursing staff who had observed that bowel movements had not resumed for three weeks.
On September 11, Dr. Abdul Rahman reassured the patient's parents that he would be able to leave the hospital once the pain was under control, confirming that "all signs indicate" that bowel function would soon return.
Four days later, on September 15, consultant surgeon Anthony Wright took over the patient's care after the family and nursing staff raised their concerns. He performed a second emergency operation which revealed the extent of the error: the small intestine was incorrectly connected to the stomach, causing the intestinal contents to circulate in a closed loop with no outlet.
Dr. Rett was able to save part of the intestine and create an abdominal opening (stoma), where the severed ends of the intestine were attached to the skin, which helped save the patient's life.
Expert Anthony Blore, a former consultant surgeon, said the procedure performed by Dr. Abdul Rahman was "unknown in medical practice" and would have resulted in the patient's death had it not been corrected. He described the operation as "bizarre," "completely unconventional," and "incompatible with life," asserting that it represented "the worst a consultant surgeon could do."
Blur added that Dr. Abdul Rahman should have sought help from a colleague if he encountered difficulties during the operation, noting that leaving another part of the small intestine inside the abdomen was "a very serious mistake."
Dr. Abdul Rahman did not admit any wrongdoing, nor did he apologize to the patient or his family. Instead, he claimed there was a "campaign" against him and that the hospital was "pointing the finger at him," pointing to his "30 years of spotless professional record without a single complaint."
The investigations also revealed that Dr. Abdul Rahman violated the terms of his registration as a doctor, after he failed to inform the General Medical Council when he applied to work at a clinic in Ireland in February 2022, and also provided incorrect information about the date he started working there.
The committee concluded that Dr. Abdul Rahman committed serious surgical errors, failed to deal with warning signs, incorrectly informed the patient's family that the operation was successful, and did not show remorse or empathy for the patient and his family.
The committee decided to permanently remove his name from the medical register, and to activate the decision to immediately suspend him from practicing the profession in the event that he appeals the ruling.
