Neil Hopper, 49, claimed injuries to his legs were the result of sepsis rather than self-inflicted.
A surgeon has been jailed for 32 months after he froze and amputated his legs for his own sexual gratification.
Neil Hopper, 49, received £466,000 ($1.07m) from insurers after claiming that injuries to his legs in 2019 were the result of sepsis rather than self-inflicted.
The vascular surgeon, who carried out hundreds of amputation operations and worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT) for a decade, used dry ice to freeze his legs.
His former patients are now demanding an independent inquiry to establish whether any of them may have had unnecessary surgery.
Truro Crown Court heard that Hopper, who was married with children, had harboured a long-held sexual fetish to have his legs amputated.
He pleaded guilty to fraud and also to possessing extreme pornography purchased from Marius Gustavson, who was described as “The Eunuch Maker” after being jailed for leading an extreme body modification ring.
Gustavson, who lived in north London, carried out penis removals and other extreme amputation procedures, which were filmed and then uploaded online.
Nicholas Lee, prosecuting, told the court that Hopper had bought three videos from the EunuchMaker.com website, showing men willingly having their genitals removed.
He also exchanged about 1500 messages with Gustavson regarding his own amputations, including asking how much dry ice he used.
“It is evident from the messages that Mr Hopper wished to become an amputee and it was always something he had dreamt of, something he has been obsessed with and had a sexual interest in becoming an amputee,” Lee said.
Gustavson told Hopper he needed to immerse his legs in ice and dry ice for at “least eight hours” and would need prescription painkillers, which he bought from the dark web.
The court heard that Hopper’s wife and children were away from their home in St Erme, Cornwall when he immersed his feet in dry ice on April 15, 2019.
While doing this he continued to message Gustavson, telling him: “It’s going to be awesome being a double amputee.”
He then sent Gustavson a picture of his erect penis.
When paramedics were called to his home they believed he was suffering from sepsis and he eventually underwent a double foot amputation. A week later, surgeons carried out a further operation to remove his legs below the knees.
“It is apparent that Neil Hopper didn’t tell the medical professionals doing all they could to help him the real cause of his injuries,” Lee said.
The court heard how at one point Hopper sent a picture of his bandaged feet to Gustavson with the message: “It feels so cool. No feet!”
Hopper was suspended from his job at Royal Cornwall Hospitals in March 2023, and a spokesman for the Trust said a comprehensive review of his work had been conducted and found no evidence that he had harmed any patients.
A spokesman for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust said: “Those at our hospitals who knew, worked with, and cared for Mr Hopper have been shocked by what has happened. We have been supporting and counselling them since he was first charged, and are continuing to do so.
“While the details of the charges are shocking, it is important to stress that the convictions do not relate to Mr Hopper’s professional conduct. During a thorough and painstaking police investigation, there were no links found to any patients he treated during his work.
“Mr Hopper worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals from 2013 until he was suspended from duty in March 2023, immediately following his arrest.
“The Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust have carried out our own comprehensive clinical reviews of surgery carried out by Neil Hopper in that time, including engaging an experienced independent clinical expert to review decisions to operate.
“We want to reassure the public that our exhaustive investigations have found no evidence whatsoever to indicate any risk or harm to patients at our hospitals.”
Mike Bird, partner at Enable Law, said the case had caused “shock and grave concern” among Hopper’s former patients.
“Some have had life-changing surgery and are now worried it was not really needed,” Bird said.
“While we understand that RCHT have said that the charges do not relate to his professional conduct and there is apparently no evidence suggesting any risk to patients, this is such a serious situation that there must be a rigorous public investigation.
“It is no wonder that patients of Mr Hopper want to know whether they received the right treatment from this surgeon in the light of these charges and his suspension.
“The patients we are advising want answers and above all, want to know that the Trust is doing all it can to investigate and support them.”
Andrew Langdon KC, mitigating, said his client had grown up in a rural village in Wales and felt he was “in the wrong body” from a young age. “He was troubled by his gender, he wanted to be female,” said Langdon.
Langdon told how Hopper identified with body integrity identity disorder, which is defined as a desire to amputate one or more healthy limbs. Hopper described his thoughts about amputating his feet as “persistent, never-ending”.
Judge James Adkin jailed him for 22 months over the fraudulent insurance claims and a further 10 months for the extreme images charges.
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