A former pediatric orthopedic surgeon in the UK is under investigation after parents raised concerns about him. The hospital is reviewing the treatment of hundreds of Dr. Yaser Jabbar’s former patients. The hospital has affirmed its commitment to thoroughly investigating each case.
Some families have already contacted the hospital about their treatment from Jabbar, and are now choosing to tell their stories to highlight the ways that that doctor failed their children.
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One family is telling their story.
Jabbar treated 6-year-old Bunty Stalham multiple times in 18 months. Her family was among the first out of over 700 cases to be told that she suffered harm during her treatment at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital. Parents have raised their concerns to the hospital about Dr. Jabbar’s treatment of children between 2017 and September 2023.
Bunty has neurofibromatosis, a rare bone condition that has resulted in many hospital trips since she was 18 months old. She began working with Jabbar in 2018.
The doctor performed multiple surgeries on the girl.
Bunty’s dad, Dean Stalham told Sky News that while she was Jabbar’s patient, the girl underwent multiple “unsuccessful and painful” procedures. She had to have her leg amputated below the knee in 2022. Dean Stalham told the outlet that Jabbar “was trying to save a leg that couldn’t be saved.”
Jabbar reportedly caused more harm than good.
“He took it upon himself to be the almighty saviour of the leg, as it were, and it proves that they were all unnecessary because they all failed — and what it says in the report is that there’s no benefit, not one operation was of any benefit to Bunty whatsoever,” Dean Stalham said.
“He was all smiles and success — coming in and saying I’ve lengthened her leg, it’s great, it’s longer than the other one, it was all a big major success and then out of the blue — actually no it hasn’t worked.”
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Bunty's amputation was delayed.
Dean Stalham told Sky News that he believed the 2022 amputation should have happened sooner and saved his daughter from prolonged pain, both physical and emotional.
“We think that she thought her leg was going to grow back, in her head, because she was told it was a healthy bone … she thought her leg was going to regrow. He sold her a dream,” he shared.
He went on to add, “After the eventual amputation, he came out of that operation and said right I’ve left a three-inch piece of lovely, healthy bone hanging from her knee, it will mean she will have mobility. Then two weeks later, the bone’s veering off to the left.”
Great Ormond Street Hospital is taking the issue seriously.
The hospital released a statement shared by Sky News.
“We wish to say we are deeply sorry to Bunty and her family, and all the families impacted by the review of care given by a Lower Limb Orthopaedic surgeon,” the statement reads. “This is not what they should expect from any service at our hospital. Within 18 working days of concerns being raised to senior leaders about the Lower Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Service, we asked the Royal College of Surgeons to carry out a review into our Paediatric Orthopaedic service in July 2022.”
Jabbar stepped down from his position at Great Ormond Street in September 2023. He later practiced in Dubai, but has reportedly since been suspended.
