Spinal tumour patient ‘still can’t walk six years on’

Exclusive: Operation done by disgraced surgeon

A spinal tumour patient has revealed he is still unable to walk – six years after being operated on by a disgraced surgeon.

Janis Kukucs was told he would be back on his feet within six months, but today remains in a wheelchair and is unable to feed himself.

Last night, it emerged the once “active” 36-yearold had tried to take action against NHS Grampian about shamed neurosurgeon Emmanuel Labram’s treatment but was told he had run out of time. His family was told he only had a year to raise an action against the health board. He had delayed after the assurances he was given that he would walk again.

Mr Kukucs, who lives in the Aberdeen beach area, was operated on by Mr Labram in September 2011 – two years before the surgeon was struck off for pretending to a patient he had removed her brain tumour. By the time his deception was uncovered, the woman’s tumour had become inoperable.

After suffering from a sore neck and breathlessness in 2010, Mr Kukucs went to see his doctor.

Initially he was diagnosed with asthma, but after his symptoms worsened and he began suffering pain in his legs, he underwent a scan and was told he had a spinal tumour.

Mr Labram assured Mr Kukucs, who is originally from Latvia, about the surgery and said he would be able to walk again within six months.

Mr Kukucs was sent to a Glasgow rehabilitation centre and for the first few weeks there he felt the feeling was returning to his legs – raising his hopes.

But he was then hit with the pain he felt before the operation, and it has never gone away again. With Mr Kukucs still consigned to a wheelchair, his wife, Zina, has given up work to become his full-time carer.

Friend Juliana Lavrinovica said last night: “Before the operation he could walk and was leading an active life. Now he is in a wheelchair and he is not even able to feed himself, and he is on strong painkillers because his pain is as bad as it was before the operation. It’s really hard for him to accept what has happened because he was told he would be able to walk again but he is stuck in a wheelchair.”

Last night, a spokeswoman for NHS Grampian said they would investigate Mr Kukucs’s case if he got in touch.

She said: “We are sorry to hear about Mr Kukucs’ case and would be happy to investigate further the concerns he has raised.

“We can confirm that the surgeon involved is no longer employed by NHS Grampian.”

“It’s really hard for him to accept what has happened”