Amputation surgeon back at work after losing both legs

A SURGEON who has amputated thousands of limbs during his career has returned to work after having both of his legs removed.

Neil Hopper, 43, a vascular surgeon, underwent the operation after falling seriously ill with sepsis last April.

Mr Hopper, who works at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, recently performed his first surgery after returning to work following his own below-the-knee double amputation.

His first time back in a theatre was to perform an amputation.

“This is an operation I’ve done hundreds of times before throughout my career so, yeah, I feel ready for it but I’m nervous,” he told BBC Inside Out West ahead of the surgery.

The operation went well, and the patient is recovering, but Mr Hopper said he now feels differently because he knows what is coming next for them.

“Now I know exactly what it’s like to have one of the operations I perform.”

He wants to make sure all amputee patients have access to the best possible rehabilitation after surgery.

“Over the years the care of patients in the community, especially amputees, has diminished,” Mr Hopper said.

“What I didn’t realise was that they had been whittled down to below the bare minimum. In other fields it would be an outrage what happens to these patients.”

Mr Hopper underwent rehabilitation at the Thornberry Centre in Plymouth but he had to wait nearly two months after leaving hospital and wants to see referrals happen much quicker.

“I’ve spoken to lots of patients, and the hardest part of their journey is the bit between leaving hospital and coming here,” he told the BBC.