Doctor Removed Woman’s Ovaries Without Consent, Ensuing Pain Led To Her Suicide

A woman took her own life after a British surgeon allegedly removed her ovaries because they were getting “in the way” while he was operating on her in order to treat her vaginal disorder.

Anthony Dixon, a surgeon and consultant at Spire Hospital in Bristol, England, is under investigation by the National Health Service for allegedly removing Lucinda Methuen-Campbell’s ovaries, without her consent during an operation in 2016, which was conducted as part of a controversial treatment called mesh rectopexy in order to fix her bowel problems, often caused by childbirth.

Coroner Aled Gruffydd told the BBC "the operation on Mrs. Methuen-Campbell was unsuccessful and made her pain worse and it affected her mental health. The pain she was in led to her taking her own life."

The coroner’s report was corroborated by Methuen-Campbell’s ex-partner, Philip Chatfield, to whom she confessed before death that "there didn't seem to be a way out of the pain.”

"The pain continued to get worse and nobody seemed able to solve the problem,” Chatfield said. “Mr. Dixon performed the operation in 2016 with the mesh but it was unsuccessful and caused her to be in agony. She had a follow-up operation which made things even worse."

Chatfield was also the one who found Methuen-Campbell’s body after she killed herself in January. The couple’s son, 19-year-old Angus, called his father after discovering the ladder of the attic down and the latch open. Chatfield arrived and found Methuen-Campbell hanged herself in the attic of her home in the village of Three Crosses, near Swansea.

A note that said "I'm sorry Angus, I love you, best son ever" was found near the body, the Telegraph reported. After the inquest, Angus said his mother “was in a great deal of pain after the operations and she was very upset that her ovaries had been removed."

Shortly after her operation, Methuen-Campbell went public with her story, telling BBC at the time: “He said he thought he'd done me a favor. And he said: 'I thought you know, a woman of your age wouldn't really need her ovaries.’” The victim was 54 at the time Dixon operated on her.

“I said 'Why did you remove them?' and he just said 'They were in the way.' My life is absolutely ruined but you know, I can't say that its Mr. Dixon's ruined my life,” she added.

In a statement regarding the alleged incident, North Bristol NHS Trust medical director Chris Burton said: "It is very important that we investigate the matter fully and it would be inappropriate for us to comment on specific details while our investigations are ongoing."

Burton also confirmed Dixon is temporarily not providing service at any clinic or hospital. Dixon was suspended from two hospitals in Bristol, prior to working at the Spire Hospital, for reportedly performing mesh rectopexy on patients.

He is also banned from performing another form of corrective surgery, known as a Starr procedure, by the General Medical Council (GMC) till November this year.

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