Nigerian Surgeon Who Removed Woman's Ovary Instead Of Her Appendix During Operations Is Struck Off

A senior surgeon who accidentally removed a woman's ovary instead of her appendix has been struck off after being branded a 'danger to patients.

Dr Lawal Haruna, 59, botched up three operations over the course of two years including removing a woman's ovary because he said the appendix and fallopian tubes were similar 'worm-like structures' in the same area.

The unnamed woman, known as Patient B, was treated by him when she was admitted for abdominal pain while he was working for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.


During the operation, one of her ovaries was removed leaving her appendix - which was causing her great pain - in situ. A tribunal heard how it was lucky she was not of child-bearing age as it could have affected her fertility.

Dr Haruna botched up two further operations  mistaking a lump of fat for an appendix in one case and a skin tag for a harmful lump in another. 

A man known as Patient A was supposed to be treated for acute appendicitis but Dr Haruna removed a pad of fat instead by mistake.

Colleagues described the operations as poorly executed and 'never events'.  

When health bosses began investigating, Haruna botched a third operation on a woman known as Patient C who had been admitted with a cyst only for him to remove a skin tag instead.

One expert who investigated the operations said in a report: 'Dr Haruna was mistaken in his identification of the appendix and removed the ovary and tube in error. This is a serious omission and a breach of duty of care.

Haruna who claims to have 25 years experience later dismissed the incidents as 'trifling errors' and said the appendix and fallopian tubes were similar 'worm-like structures which lie in a similar area.

The surgeon, who represented himself, told the Manchester hearing he had 'poor vision' at the time he carried out the surgery and claimed it would be 'harsh' to strike him off.

He added: 'I want to apologise to all the patients. I didn't experience operative difficulties, in removing whatever I removed. Everything had gone along fine and it was not difficult to remove.

 But at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service a disciplinary panel found him guilty of misconduct and banned him from treating patients.