(FeaturedHeadlines.com) A surgeon serving with the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy is facing consequences for operating on a 12-year-old boy’s genitals without the consent of his parents. The surgeon, Commander Anthony Lambert, was suspended for six months as a result of the incident.
Lambert decided to operate on the boy’s genitals after noticing they “didn’t look normal” during a procedure to fix an umbilical hernia. The boy was rendered unconscious during the procedure, which took place in April 2016.
Without consulting the boy’s parents, Lambert chose to address preputial adhesions on the boy’s genitals. Preputial adhesions can naturally resolve, although surgery is sometimes used if the condition results in pain.
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service called Lambert’s actions “deplorable” and suspended him from his job at Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital. The incident came under investigation after the boy’s mother filed a complaint about the surgeon’s actions. The tribunal noted that the extraneous procedure was not urgently needed.
Lambert served 36 years in the Royal Navy, in which he achieved the rank of Surgeon Commander. The surgeon claimed that although he is devastated by the outcome of his actions, he undertook the procedure on the boy with good intentions.
The incident was not the first incident involving Lambert that came under scrutiny. In 2014, Lambert was investigated for using inappropriate language in front of patients and medical staff. Investigators also looked into Lambert in 2018 for using abusive language with patients and staff.
Moreover, the incident involving Lambert is not the only recent challenge faced by Derriford Hospital. Technological problems with the hospital’s computer network resulted in delayed appointments for patients. The network required several essential upgrades. Impacted patients were contacted and given apologies, a spokesperson for the hospital said.
Although Lambert is suffering consequences for his poor judgment as a medical professional, the incident raises the question of whether other patients have been unwillingly operated on by surgeons, but failed to receive similar justice.
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