37 complaints against a proctologist after “failed” operations. How are surgeons checked?

in collaboration with

Guillaume Pourcher (obesity surgeon)

A proctologist surgeon – and trained urologist – was indicted following the filing of around fifty complaints by patients, victims of his practices. In total, 37 people will have their approach studied, with facts occurring before 2008 being prescribed. What do we blame this surgeon for?

Patients describe experiencing “hell” since their operation

The patients, aged 27 to 70, underwent surgery for hemorrhoids. Failed interventions, carried out by the 56-year-old surgeon, who “promised miracle operations“, “without warning patients of the risks” explains Etienne Manteaux, the public prosecutor, whose comments are reported by our colleagues at 20 minutes.

The victims therefore discover afterwards that they “had for example incontinence strong. Their daily lives have been greatly impacted, everyone says that it has become hell. Some find themselves seriously incontinent at age 30 or 40, left by their spouse, having to wear diapers.” adds the magistrate.

The surgeon denies any responsibility for these complaints

The surgeon was finally indicted on September 24 for “unintentional injuries resulting in less than three months of temporary interruption of work, aggravated by the manifestly deliberate violation of an obligation of safety or prudence“.

Placed under judicial supervision with a ban on performing surgical procedures, he faces one year of imprisonment. For his part, he denies any responsibility for these acts and ceased his activity in June, following the first publications of articles by theIs Republicanbefore resuming in September. He also appealed his indictment and his placement under judicial supervision. According to him, these are therapeutic hazards unrelated to the quality of his practice.

The matter is in the hands of justice: experts and judges will have to assess the liability of the practitioner. But how are they controlled in their daily exercise? Doctissimo interviewed Dr. Guillaume Pourcher, bariatric surgeon, to understand it. “QWhen a practitioner sets up, the Council of the Order, which is the same as that of doctors, has the duty to verify the training, qualifications and diplomas of the surgeon. first explains our expert.

“Subsequently, as with doctors, the surgeon has an obligation to continue medical training, to stay up to date with his knowledge.. If he is employed in a clinic, as is the case here with this surgeon working at the Besançon Polyclinic, it is up to the director of the establishment to verify the skills of the person who will be hired.

A diploma in urology does not prevent him from practicing as a proctologist

According to Dr. Pourcher, “surgeons were qualified in general surgery until around 2014. This means that this practitioner obtained this diploma, with a specialization in urology. But subsequently, with training or if he has operated on enough patients, he can take care of proctology patients”.

But subsequently, the responsibility for his actions falls to him, there is no “control” or “monitoring” strictly speaking. “Once the ordinal council has validated an installation, it works under its own responsibility, we cannot put a police officer behind each practitioner” confirms Guillaume Pourcher.

“In medicine as in surgery, we advocate individual responsibility, rather than repression, without forgetting the fact that the doctor, like the surgeon, practices an art for which he has an obligation of means but not of results.” he continues. “Even if of course, therapeutic hazards exist and the surgeon retains direct responsibility for his action, without 100% control over the result.” he concludes.