Breast op woman not given safest surgery - inquest

A mother-of-two operated on by a disgraced breast surgeon was not told other experts believed her recommended treatment was not the safest option, an inquest heard.

The third of 62 inquests being held into patients of Ian Paterson opened into the 2015 death of 59-year-old Solihull patient Christine Baker.

Her husband Stephen Baker said his wife had a “skin-sparing” mastectomy in 2005 and had been advised there was no additional risk to the reconstructive part of the procedure.

The court heard she had a second mastectomy after her cancer returned in 2007.

Paterson, who is serving a 20-year jail term for wounding, has previously told Birmingham Coroner’s Court he stopped performing his version of the “cleavage-sparing” operation as soon as he was informed by hospital chiefs in 2007 that more research was needed.

The hearing was told Mr Baker borrowed £12,000 to pay for the 2005 operation to be carried out privately after his wife was diagnosed with invasive cancer in her right breast.

He said she wanted a mastectomy without reconstruction because she didn’t want to take any risks but was advised it was the best option so she “went along with it”.

Mr Baker said he was told the 2005 surgery went well but he only found out in 2020 from an inquiry report there was a suggestion that tissue was “left behind” in the operation.

He said Paterson again suggested reconstructive surgery in 2007 but a multi-disciplinary team suggested that was not the right course of action, leaving the couple puzzled.

“I think people in the trust were starting to have concerns about Mr Paterson but we were totally unaware," Mr Baker said.

He described how his wife was born and grew up in Stoke-on-Trent and went on to become an English teacher in a Birmingham secondary school.

He said they met in their 20s, “fell completely head over heels in love” and remained so for the next 35 years.

Breast care nurse Clare Bate told the hearing nurses saw Paterson’s mastectomies were different from his colleagues.

“There would be cleavage and volume after the mastectomies with Mr Paterson. The other consultants would normally leave the patients with a flat chest wall," she said.

She added Paterson explained he “left behind fatty tissue so the ladies might have a better cosmetic outcome”.

Asked if she had concerns, she said: “I trusted that he knew what he was doing.”

The court heard she felt differently from about 2007-08 because patients were starting to come back with recurrence of their tumours.

The inquest continues.

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