Inquest questions speed of Paterson mastectomy

The disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson carried out a mastectomy on a mother of four in just 36 minutes, an inquest into her death has heard.

Cancer patient Eunice Jones, from Knowle in Solihull, was operated on by the now jailed surgeon in January 2002.

Counsel to the inquest Scott Matthewson suggested that 36 minutes was not enough time to perform a mastectomy procedure adequately.

The deaths of 67 former patients of Paterson are being investigated at inquest to determine whether they died an unnatural death as a result of his care and treatment.

Among the inquiry's focus has been the extent to which he spared breast tissue that then left patients open to cancer appearing.

Paterson was jailed for 20 years in 2017 after being convicted of wounding patients by way of botched and unnecessary operations.

Tuesday's proceedings heard that Jones had told her daughter that she had received a so-called cleavage-sparing mastectomy from Paterson, but that he had told her this was a safe procedure.

Matthewson said the term "cleavage sparing mastectomy" would not have been known by the public in 2002 and asked Paterson why Jones would have been aware of it.

Speaking via video link from jail during proceedings, Paterson said he suspected she did not use those words as the term was not used at the time.

He added he believed Jones would have had a full mastectomy, and of the terminology issue stated: "I suspect it's been included to allege what happened."

As to the question of procedure speed, Paterson said people operated at different speeds, and some would take an hour, others half an hour.

He said he would be at the "quicker end but it doesn't mean the lady didn't have a proper and complete operation".

The court heard that in August 2002, eight months after her mastectomy, Paterson referred Jones to plastic surgeon Chien Kat for breast reconstruction.

In April 2003, Jones was diagnosed with metastatic bone disease, a type of cancer. She had breast reconstruction in September 2003 and died the following March.

The coroner, Judge Richard Foster, asked Kat how often she would carry out reconstruction on a patient with metastatic disease.

"Very rarely," replied Kat, who told the hearing she had no memory of Jones, and notes were limited..

She said that most patients would not want to consider reconstruction in those circumstances.

She said she could only assume it was the patient's choice and that preoperative assessment would have been carried out by other hospital doctors.

The family's counsel Teresa Hargreaves said Jones's children were "surprised she was being offered reconstructive surgery when she was dying".

Kat said a complex reconstruction would not have been suitable as the risk of complications would have been higher.

The inquest heard that Jones had a "simple implant".

The procedure was carried out at a private Priory Hospital but paid for by the NHS, the inquest was told.

The hearing continues.

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