Doctor pays for failed vasectomies

A doctor who failed three vasectomies on two different men is paying more than $150,000 in compensation to a couple who twice got pregnant after failed sterilisations.

Dr Johannes Wilson pleaded guilty to two amended charges of professional misconduct when he appeared before the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal in Auckland yesterday.

The case went to the tribunal after complaints Dr Wilson had failed to correctly perform vasectomies on the men.

A Northland couple, who earlier filed proceedings in the High Court at Auckland to sue Dr Wilson for $400,000 after their two sterilisations failed, settled their case out of court.

The couple had their third child in 2003 after the first operation the year before failed. The wife became pregnant again in 2004 after the second operation and had an abortion.

The claim was withdrawn after Dr Wilson settled the matter with the family with a lump-sum payment of $20,000. He also paid $15,000 towards costs and will provide monthly payments of $1000 for 10 years.

The tribunal heard how Dr Wilson failed to fully advise both men the vasectomy procedure would not be successful unless there was a zero sperm count following the operation. Dr Wilson had also ignored the standard practice of sending a specimen to a laboratory for independent analysis.

A Pakuranga couple also had an unwanted pregnancy in 2004 after going to Dr Wilson for a vasectomy. The Herald understands the man concerned is pursuing reparations through the Health and Disability Commissioner.

The man said he was pleased Dr Wilson had pleaded guilty to the charges.

He said his baby daughter was a cherished "bundle of joy". His main aim was to have Dr Wilson stop practising surgery and said he was "not capable" of performing vasectomies.

Dr Wilson no longer practises surgery but is doing medical research into anti-ageing. His lawyer, Peter Spring, asked for leniency and for the tribunal to consider his early admission of professional misconduct and settlement with one of the couples.

The tribunal is considering punishment for Dr Wilson.

A non-specialist, Dr Wilson said he learned the vasectomy procedure while training to be a doctor in his native South Africa, where by his estimate he had performed about 100 of the operations.

Mr Spring said it was "quite common" for GPs there to be called upon to do things outside their scope and said Dr Wilson once performed open heart surgery on a person in a township on the outskirts of Johannesburg, despite being unqualified. He said standards in South Africa were different and was "part of the reason" he was in his present situation.