A MAN has been left unable to have sex with his wife and feeling suicidal after a botched circumcision.
The middle-aged man, who hasn’t been named, had been experiencing difficulty urinating when he went into hospital for a minor, routine op.
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However, just before he was wheeled into theatre at Furness General Hospital, Cumbria surgeon Kavinder Madhra told him he needed a full circumcision.
During the procedure too much skin was removed and he was left with an “extremely buried penis” – a condition that “took his manhood away from him”.
The condition, which means the penis is covered by excess skin, has prevented the man from having sex.
He is also unable to direct the flow of urine and has to press a bucket against himself when he goes to the toilet.
The man, who was 54 at the time of the operation in October 2012, says it left him suicidal and almost caused the breakdown of his marriage.
He has since been awarded a pay out of £125,000 for medical negligence.
‘Ruined my life’
The patient told a tribunal his “life was ruined” by the operation as he no longer goes out to public places through embarrassment.
He said: “After the operation I suffered an infection and when all the swelling had gone down I was pretty much left without a penis as it was buried in my body.
“I haven’t been able to go to the toilet normally since as I have no control when I go for a wee. It just shoots everywhere so I have to use a bucket.
“That has stopped me going out to restaurants or any days out as it is just so difficult and embarrassing.
I have no control when I go for a wee… it just shoots everywhere so I have to use a bucket
“I’ve had experts come and see me and basically suggest that I wear a large nappy. I am not prepared to degrade myself any further by doing that.
“Before the operation I had a good sex life with my wife but that has been impossible since. That has been really difficult to handle.
“I basically go to bed unable to have any sexual activity with my wife. That has been taken from us and had a massive impact on our relationship.”
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The man, from Barrow, Cumbria, was initially told he would undergo a minor ‘dorsal slit’ procedure – a single incision along the upper length of the foreskin.
But just minutes before being wheeled into theatre, consultant urologist Mr Madhra told him he would carry out a full circumcision, where the entire foreskin is removed.
After he launched legal action against the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, hospital bosses admitted too much skin had been removed during the procedure.
They also admitted the patient was not fully warned of the increased risks of suffering the injuries he did due to him being overweight at the time.
Independent medical experts, consulted as part of the legal case, said the operation should have been carried out alongside liposuction and skin-grafting.
‘Humiliated’
A consultant psychiatrist who assessed the man said he had been left ‘feeling humiliated’ and that ‘his manhood had been taken away from him’.
He said the impact on his life would have been ‘like that of a bereavement in terms struggling to adjust’.
Mr Madhra was allowed to continue practising surgery despite five complaints made against him by patients and doctors in 2014.
In 2018, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service imposed restrictions on Mr Madhra’s practice and he resigned nine days later.
Mr Madhra is currently subject to an ongoing hearing to decide if he is fit to practice.
The patient added: “I feel nothing but anger towards Mr Madhra and the hospital trust for what has happened to me and it has only added to that anger and frustration to read about these complaints which date back so many years.
“This sort of thing should not be happening to anybody. It has ruined my life and I wonder how many others have suffered too.”
It has ruined my life and I wonder how many others have suffered too
Unnamed patient
The patient was awarded a pay out of £125,000 for medical negligence after being advised by his GP to take legal action.
Rachel O’Connor, medical negligence specialist at Hudgell Solicitors, said: “The problem my client faced initially was quite common in that he was finding it difficult to go to the toilet due to experiencing tightening of the foreskin, which was making it difficult to urinate.
“Given his weight and condition, it was the view of independent medical experts that we consulted that a circumcision should never have been carried out in isolation and the matter was further worsened by the surgeon removing too much skin during the operation.
What is a ‘buried penis’?
A buried penis is a penis that’s covered by excess skin in the pubic area or scrotum.
The scrotum is the sac of skin that surrounds the testicles.
The penis is usually of normal length and function, but it’s hidden.
The condition can be caused by:
- excess fat
- fluid retention
- problems with ligaments
- complications after a circumcision
It can affect urination and sexual arousal, but it’s usually treatable with surgery.
Buried penis can also cause embarrassment and psychological harm.
Source: Healthline
“The impact on my client’s life has been huge. He says he has gone from a happy-go-lucky person who had a good social life to someone who admits he has been moody and angry and feeling trapped in his home.
“He has been left unable to have a sexual relationship with his wife and this has understandably caused much upset, frustration and worry and he suffered from depression as a result of what happened.
“He has had feelings of self-harm and suffered from nightmares and flashbacks.
“There was suggestion of him having reconstructive surgery, but he lost all trust in the medical profession as a result of what happened.”
The Trust’s medical director Shahedal Bari said: “I would like to say how sorry I am for the harm caused to this patient.
“I sincerely hope that this financial settlement will go some way towards compensating him for what has happened.
“Since this patient’s operation we’ve done a lot of work to improve our urology service.
“In 2016, we invited the Royal College of Surgeons to carry out a report into our Urology Department.
“We have invited an independent review of our service to make sure that we have made the necessary changes and that our service is as good as possible.”
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