A surgeon working as an NHS locum doctor has been removed from the medical register following a serious surgical error that left a patient in severe distress and at risk of death. Dr Yasser Adly Abdel Rahman, originally from Egypt, performed an emergency operation at Royal Oldham Hospital in Greater Manchester in August 2020, during which he mistakenly connected the patient’s small intestine to his stomach in a way that caused digestive contents to flow backward.

The patient, a young man who required urgent surgery due to a tumour and a perforated necrotic loop of small bowel, experienced a "closed loop" condition after the procedure. This led to a blockage where bowel contents had nowhere to go but back into the stomach, causing intense, unrelenting pain and a lack of bowel movements for three weeks. The tribunal heard that the patient’s life was saved only when another surgeon, Dr Anthony Rate, performed a corrective operation in mid-September 2020, identifying that the wrong segment of the small intestine had been joined.

At a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) hearing, an expert witness described Dr Abdel Rahman’s operation as “bizarre” and “totally unconventional,” stating that it was incompatible with life and that the patient would likely have died without subsequent surgical intervention. The tribunal criticised Dr Abdel Rahman’s clinical decisions and noted his failure to respond appropriately to post-operative complications. Staff observed that the surgeon appeared dismissive of concerns raised by nurses when the patient exhibited symptoms such as vomiting and ongoing pain.

Dr Abdel Rahman had been employed at the hospital for only a few days before conducting the surgery on August 25, 2020. Following the procedure, he informed the patient's family that the operation was successful and showed no indication that he had recognised any error. Later, he claimed to be a victim of a "witch hunt" and rejected allegations of negligence, highlighting a previously unblemished 30-year career.

Prior to erasure from the register, the MPTS had imposed restrictions on Dr Abdel Rahman’s medical practice in July 2021. However, the tribunal found he had breached these conditions by securing a locum post at a clinic in Ireland in early 2022. This breach was regarded as an aggravating factor in their decision to remove him from the medical register permanently. The tribunal concluded that Dr Abdel Rahman’s misconduct and post-operative management were fundamentally incompatible with continued registration as a medical practitioner.