TV surgeon pays damages to woman

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A plastic surgeon who has appeared on TV has agreed a six-figure compensation payout to a woman who suffered a stroke while he carried out a face lift.

Diane Newbould, from Sheffield, was left unable to speak properly and needs lifetime care after the 2002 operation.

She claimed Jan Stanek failed to take into account her poor medical history before agreeing to the procedure.

London's High Court heard Mr Stanek and the anaesthetist involved in the operation had agreed to the settlement.

Mr Stanek is considered one of the leading surgeons in his field. He appeared in the Five series, 'Plastic Fantastic,' and in the popular Channel 4 series, '10 Years Younger'.

'Poor health'

The settlement was agreed without any admission of liability by Mr Stanek, or the anaesthetist, the court heard.

The operation was carried out at a private hospital in central London in January 2002.

The amount of Mrs Newbould's payout was kept confidential, but her counsel, Simeon Maskrey QC, said outside court that it was "a significant, six-figure, sum".

In court documents, Mrs Newbould's legal team alleged that not enough account was taken of her "poor medical history" before the operation went ahead.

She was obese, a heavy smoker and her medical problems included bronchitis and a history of hypertension.

'Very happy'

Her counsel claimed she should have been told to "undergo significant lifestyle changes", particularly to lose weight and cut down on cigarettes, before she underwent the operation.

Her blood pressure was said to have fluctuated widely during the operation and, when her daughter saw her afterwards, she was paralysed down her right side and unable to speak.

The court heard Mrs Newbould, now 53, still has problems speaking and is prey to "emotional and psychological difficulties".

Mr Maskrey told the court Mrs Newbould and her husband recently moved from Sheffield to southern Spain, where she is cared for by her daughter and son-in-law.

Mrs Newbould's solicitor Janet Baker said: "They are very happy that this has settled and Mrs Newbould has been spared the anxiety of having to come to court to go through a trial."