A true crime series exploring the double life of an NHS vascular surgeon has been released on Prime Video. An Amputation Obsession: The Monster and the Surgeon delves into the story of Neil Hopper, a Cornwall man who had his own legs amputated and fraudulently claimed over £466,000 in insurance payouts.
Neil Hopper's double life exposed
Hopper had his legs amputated below the knees in 2019, claiming it was due to sepsis. In reality, he had caused extensive injuries to himself. He documented his journey as an amputee online and became a 'hero' after returning to work, but his dark secret was uncovered when a whistle-blower exposed an underground network devoted to extreme body modifications.
Police investigated Hopper for paying to access a website that sold videos of amputations and body modifications, including the removal of penises, many of which went wrong on camera. Communications between Hopper and the website owner revealed the truth about his injuries, which he had failed to disclose when claiming insurance payouts.
Investigation and sentencing
The Crown Prosecution Service said: "This is a highly unusual and shocking case which came to light during an investigation into a website selling extreme images of amputations and body modification. Hopper has a sexual fetish linked to amputation, and paid to access these images for his own gratification."
In September 2025, Hopper appeared before the courts and received a 32-month prison sentence for insurance fraud and possessing extreme pornographic images, to which he pleaded guilty. He is currently still in prison, with an expected release date of 2027.
Where is Neil Hopper now?
In May 2026, Hopper was struck off the medical register. Prime Video confirmed at the end of the programme: "In a statement during his general medical council tribunal Neil Hopper said, 'I want to make sure the public are aware that my practices were safe'. He told the GMC he 'felt no enjoyment performing amputations on others in his role as a surgeon'."
The GMC confirmed that Neil Hopper 'clarified that he felt no enjoyment performing amputations on others in his role as a surgeon'. An Amputation Obsession: The Monster and the Surgeon can be streamed on Prime Video.
