Patient left with 'mounds of flesh' after surgery

A former patient of jailed surgeon Ian Paterson made complaints about him after he left mounds of flesh behind following two separate mastectomies.

Marie Pinfield, a West Midlands Police child protection officer from Solihull, died in October 2008 of metastatic cancer.

An inquest into Pinfield's death heard that she had repeatedly told Paterson that she wanted a completely flat chest following the surgeries in 2006, and was upset at the results of both mastectomies.

A doctor who later examined Pinfield, Dr Hemant Ingle, said in a police report that he was shocked that Pinfield was still wearing a B cup bra after undergoing two mastectomies, remarking: "This was not a mastectomy in my book."

Warning: This article contains images of post-surgery scarring

Pinfield is one of 68 women whose deaths are being investigated at inquest, to see if Paterson's treatment or care caused an unnatural death.

The disgraced surgeon was jailed in 2017 after being convicted of wounding patients by way of botched and unnecessary operations, and given a 20-year prison sentence.

However, he will be automatically released halfway through his sentence in 2027, before the inquests are due to conclude.

Pinfield's sister, Shirley Moroney, told the inquest that at a first impression, Paterson came across as "very charming" and put the two sisters at ease after she was diagnosed with cancer in her left breast.

However, when Pinfield told Paterson that she wanted a bilateral mastectomy, Moroney said he had retorted "You can't possibly want that" and told her she was too young.

Pinfield had long wanted a breast reduction according to her sister, as it "affected all parts of her life", but had previously been refused one by a doctor.

Eventually, Pinfield had her first surgery, believing she would have a total mastectomy and be left with a flat chest.

But after the surgery, Moroney said: "I could see there was still quite a lot of volume on the body."

She waited for Paterson to visit her sister and when she asked him about the remaining tissue, she said Paterson remarked: "I knew you'd be trouble."

Moroney told the inquest that Paterson had said it was just fatty tissue and then marched off, adding: "I had to go outside to cry because I didn't want Marie to hear it."

At a subsequent appointment with Paterson, Moroney said her sister "felt basically bullied into fixing a date [for another mastectomy], by saying there are women out there with cancer so make your mind up".

After this appointment, Moroney told the inquest that a breast care nurse approached her in the corridor and said: "I'm really sorry Marie. I knew this wasn't what you wanted, but I didn't have the strength to be able to tell him because I was in the room when he was admiring his work after your operation."

Despite a second mastectomy being performed, Pinfield still had mounds of flesh left after the surgery.

In a statement Moroney previously made to police, she said: "After the second operation honestly I could [have] stitched her up better than he did.

"He said in that operation he took away more cancer so you can only conclude that the first time he didn't do his job properly."

Following the second mastectomy, Pinfield was approached by a whistleblower from Solihull Hospital, asking if she would like to meet with a consultant who wanted to help her.

The consultant was Dr Hemant Ingle, who met Pinfield in a car park as his office was adjacent to Paterson's.

Dr Ingle wanted to examine Pinfield and take medical photographs of her as he was concerned about Paterson's treatment.

The following photos are those that Dr Ingle requested.

Moroney read a pen portrait about her sister as the inquest resumed on Monday.

Describing her sister, she said: "It was no surprise to me that she became a police officer as to her, keeping the people safe from bad people was important to her.

"Marie was a very attractive woman and people were drawn to her warmth and open nature."

Describing her as caring and kind, Moroney said she was always very generous to the people she met through her child protection work.

She added: "Social Marie, she loved a party and was often the instigator of many. Front and centre of all fun and games, bringing people together.

"Friends still send me messages and visit her grave 18 years on.

"Some people say their loved ones lit up a room. Marie set it on fire."

The inquest continues.

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