Home / Health / Surgeon's Amputation Threat Sparks Patient Recall
Surgeon's Amputation Threat Sparks Patient Recall
14 Feb
Summary
- Young patient told amputation was necessary by surgeon.
- Another consultant stated no amputation was needed at all.
- Hand specialist faces patient recall and investigation.
Georgia Spargo, now 28, has detailed a decade of surgeries performed by hand specialist Leslie Irwin, starting when she was 14. Initially treated for wrist pain due to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Spargo underwent multiple operations. In 2021, Irwin suggested amputating her hand to resolve the persistent pain.
However, after Irwin retired in 2022, a new surgeon informed Spargo that amputation was "no reason whatsoever" for her condition. She experienced significant pain and lost mobility in her right wrist, impacting her ability to work and perform daily tasks.
Spire Healthcare has issued a patient recall notice for Irwin's former patients, who practiced at their Washington Hospital between 2001 and 2023. He was suspended in August 2023 and had his practicing privileges withdrawn in September 2024. A substantial number of former patients have come forward to medical negligence lawyers.
Irwin's wife has denied the allegations, stating they are unfair and threaten his retirement. She claims her husband would never have suggested amputation and that phantom pain could still occur. The NHS is not investigating or recalling patients, but Spire Healthcare is reviewing specific procedures and coordinating with the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.
