Botched transgender surgery
The vagina of woman transitioning to a man was mistakenly removed by two Harley St doctors. The man was left "distraught" as a result of the irreversible procedure.
Mr Giulio Garaffa, a gender reassignment consultant, mistakenly carried out the procedure and his colleague Dr Marco Capece subsequently altered a form to show consent had been given. This act was described as, "a moment of panic".
Prior to the operation the man had repeatedly stated that he did not want his vagina removing. A week after the surgery, whilst recovering from two additional surgeries, he discovered that the vagina had been removed.
The patient reported to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service that the "unwanted surgery" had had a "profound impact" on his life.
The operation was performed in 2016 at the Harley Street-based St Peter's Andrology Centre which specialises in gender reassignment. As part of the transitioning process the patient had agreed to a hysterectomy and metoidioplasty, to give him a penis, but refused the vagina removal.
Dr Capece, Mr Garaffa's colleague, did not obtain consent for the extra surgery but following the operation he added the word "vaginectomy" to the consent form.
The medical tribunal was told the patient, who hasn't been named, began formal gender transition in 2013. He changed his name by deed poll and started life as a man in March 2014.
The surgeons, both from Italy, were both described as leading transgender specialists. Mr Garaffa was described as one of the few doctors in the world capable of performing such complex procedures.
Chairman of the Tribunal, Tim Bradbury, commented, "His failures were serious and numerous. The consequences were grave, the patient underwent life-changing and irreversible surgery which (they) did not want."
Consequently Dr Garaffa was found guilty on four counts of misconduct and suspended for five months. Dr Capece was found guilty of three misconduct charges, and suspended for 12 months.
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