Surgeon accuses officials over trip
A world-leading mesh removal specialist yesterday blamed Scots officials after discussions to bring him to Scotland ground to a halt.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman promised to bring Dr Dionysios Veronikis to Scotland three months ago to train surgeons in his techniques and to treat mesh victims. However, he says no progress has been made in arranging the trip, adding: “I am a surgeon, not a politician. If they do not want me to come, they should just say so.”
Politicians last night demanded Ms Freeman intervenes personally.
World-renowned surgeon Dr Dionysios Veronikis has told how mesh victim Claire Daisley did not need to lose her bladder or her bowel, contradicting Scots doctors’ prognosis.
After a gruelling four-hour surgery, which included the repair of her entire pelvic floor as well as complete mesh implant removal, Dr Veronikis said: “Both Claire’s bladder and her bowel have been saved. I did not see any reason for either of her organs to be removed.”
The surgeon, whose patients come from all over the world to his US-based clinic at Mercy Hospital in St Louis, Missouri, was “shocked and surprised” to learn surgeons in Scotland had planned to remove both Claire’s organs.
Dr Veronikis said: “I was surprised removal of any of Claire’s organs was being proposed. I’ve carried out surgeries on thousands of mesh-injured women. Not one of them lost either their bladder or their bowel. It would’ve been a tragedy if that had occurred in Claire’s case.”
The surgeon described Claire’s surgery as a “major success”. He said: “I’d describe it as life changing. Once her body has had a proper chance to heal, and that could take a whole year, I believe she’ll begin to see a huge improvement in her quality of life.”
Dr Veronikis, who refused payment for his surgical fees, says he found extensive internal damage caused by the mesh implant, as well as scarring left by a previous attempt to remove her implant.
Performed by one of the two NHS surgeons described as Scotland’s top removal experts, Claire had been assured she had undergone full mesh removal in 2015.
But her medical notes reveal just 6.5cms were excised, just one third of the mesh implant.
Dr Veronikis removed 12.5cms, from Claire’s left and right obturator muscle area, which can cause severe pain as well as mobility issues.
He said: “After assessing Claire’s pain and mobility, I wasn’t surprised to find only the vaginal section of her mesh implant had been removed. I’ve seen other patients, like Claire, who’ve been told they’ve had full mesh removal when that is not the case.
“A partial removal may release tension caused by the mesh implant, but it won’t alleviate pain or improve mobility. Only full removal can do that.
“But what a partial removal does guarantee is that it makes it far more difficult to fully remove the implant because it increases the chance for trauma and damage to organs, as well as creating scar tissue.”
He carried out repairs to Claire’s bowel and bladder, pelvic organ prolapse repair, major repairs to her vagina, and mesh removal from both sides of her obturator muscle areas.
Dr Veronikis said: “I also removed mesh which had fused to her pubic bone. Her surgery was long and complex, but I’m entirely satisfied.
“I’d like to see Claire again to carry out more tests to her bladder function once she has had a chance to heal. There’s no reason whatsoever that she needs to lose her bladder following the surgery she has had in the US.”