Ian Paterson case: 'Rotting wound after mastectomy'

Ian Paterson was formerly employed by Heart of England NHS Trust and also practised at Spire Healthcare

A woman who underwent an unnecessary mastectomy was left with a "black and rotting" wound, a court has heard.

Ian Paterson, of Altrincham, has denied 20 counts of wounding with intent against nine women and one man.

Judith Conduit said a blood clot was found during the procedure in 2001 and another surgeon did not have the correct implements to remove it.

She went to a hospital 94 times in 12 months as part of her recovery, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

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Mr Paterson, of Castle Mill Lane, Ashley, Altrincham, Greater Manchester, was employed by Heart of England NHS Trust and also practised at privately-owned Spire Healthcare hospitals.

He is alleged to have told Mrs Conduit she had Dercum's disease, a condition he had only seen twice before in his career.

She said: "He [Mr Paterson] said he could not keep removing the lumps because he was removing too much breast tissue and the only way forward would be to have a bilateral mastectomy."

Mrs Conduit said she was rushed to another hospital after the blood clot was discovered near to her heart during the procedure in July 2001.

The patient, then aged 47, had seen Mr Paterson in May and September 2000 when he removed lumps from her right and left breasts, which turned out to be benign fatty tissue, the court heard.

Breast surgery expert Prof Philip Drew, a senior lecturer in general surgery at the University of Hull, revisited her case.

While a number of operations carried out by Mr Paterson would appear reasonable to most surgeons, Prof Drew said, he thought the mastectomy was not.

He stated Mrs Conduit's condition was "mislabelled" as Dercum's.

The trial continues.