Jailed breast surgeon Ian Paterson has told an inquest he did not inform patients about his unauthorised cleavage-sparing mastectomy because “it was frightening and they didn’t need to or want to know”. Giving evidence for the first time at the inquest into the deaths of 62 former patients, Paterson said he considered the procedure an “adaptation of a standard operation” that did not require separate consent.
The inquest heard evidence concerning Elaine Turbill, who died aged 63 in 2017 after her cancer returned following a mastectomy by Paterson in 2005. At a recall clinic in 2010, it was recorded that 20% of her breast tissue had been left behind. Paterson, serving a 20-year sentence for multiple counts of wounding, said he did not explain the procedure in detail to patients. “Most ladies know what a mastectomy is. I never went into great detail, it scares them and I don’t think they hear it, they just hear the word cancer,” he said.
Paterson claimed he did not know how many patients received the cleavage-sparing procedure, which involved leaving tissue for cosmetic reasons, contrary to national guidelines. He insisted it was a “safe oncology procedure” and that he stopped when concerns were raised. He also said he did not tell colleagues because he “didn’t think it was anything other than a better cosmetic result”.
Earlier, surgeon Balapathiran Balasubramanian said Turbill opted against further surgery to remove remaining tissue and chose regular checkups. A CT scan in December 2013 showed her cancer had spread to bones, brain and liver. Turbill’s daughter Gemma said, “No breast surgeon aims to leave breast tissue after breast surgery. That’s just crazy.”
