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| Breast surgeon Ian Paterson 'invented cancer risks' | Breast surgeon Ian Paterson 'invented cancer risks' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A breast surgeon carried out "completely unnecessary" operations after inventing or exaggerating cancer risks, a court has heard. | A breast surgeon carried out "completely unnecessary" operations after inventing or exaggerating cancer risks, a court has heard. |
| Ian Paterson, 59, of Altrincham, denies 20 counts of wounding with intent against nine women and one man. | Ian Paterson, 59, of Altrincham, denies 20 counts of wounding with intent against nine women and one man. |
| Prosecutor Julian Christopher QC said Mr Paterson had "obscure motives" which may have included earning more money. | |
| He said some patients developed mental health problems as a result of the treatment. | |
| The procedures occurred at Heart of England NHS Trust and privately-run Spire Healthcare hospitals in the West Midlands. | |
| Mr Paterson's trial at Nottingham Crown Court is expected to last 10 weeks. | Mr Paterson's trial at Nottingham Crown Court is expected to last 10 weeks. |
| For updates on this and other Birmingham stories | For updates on this and other Birmingham stories |
| Opening the case, Mr Christopher said the charges relate to a period between 1997 and 2011 when Mr Paterson was a busy surgeon with an "excellent bedside manner". | Opening the case, Mr Christopher said the charges relate to a period between 1997 and 2011 when Mr Paterson was a busy surgeon with an "excellent bedside manner". |
| "He was extremely experienced and knowledgeable in his field - breast surgery - which makes what happened in this case, the prosecution say, all the more extraordinary and outrageous," he said. | "He was extremely experienced and knowledgeable in his field - breast surgery - which makes what happened in this case, the prosecution say, all the more extraordinary and outrageous," he said. |
| "All of the operations, the prosecution allege, were in fact completely unnecessary," he told the jury. | "All of the operations, the prosecution allege, were in fact completely unnecessary," he told the jury. |
| Mr Christopher said the main issue of the case was whether the patient was "harmed lawfully" or "whether the prosecution are right that what Mr Paterson did fell quite outside the realms of reasonable surgery". | Mr Christopher said the main issue of the case was whether the patient was "harmed lawfully" or "whether the prosecution are right that what Mr Paterson did fell quite outside the realms of reasonable surgery". |
| 'Life-changing operations' | |
| He said the prosecution would suggest the surgeon carried out the operations "not because he thought it was in the best interests of the patient, but for his own perhaps obscure motives". | |
| "Whether to maintain his image as a busy successful surgeon in great demand and at the top of his game, whether to earn extra money by doing extra operations and follow up consultations," he said. | |
| He told the jury Mr Paterson, of Castle Mill Lane, Ashley, may have "enjoyed the responsibility that came with helping people". | |
| Mr Christopher said patients and their families had lived with the belief "they could be very ill and underwent extensive, life-changing operations for no medically justifiable reason". |