PATIENTS of a surgeon who froze his own legs to amputate them in a twisted sex fantasy fear they were victims of unnecessary operations.
Neil Hopper opened up about his so-called battle with sepsis on – claiming he lost his limbs as a result of the illness.
Neil Hopper claimed he lost his legs to sepsis
He was yesterday jailed for fraud after he injured his own limbs
But the consultant vascular surgeon was yesterday jailed for 32 months for fraud totalling more than £466,000 after .
Truro Crown Court heard Hopper used dry ice to freeze his legs to the extent they were no longer viable, requiring amputation.
This was an ambition of his and something he had a sexual interest in.
Former patients of his at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust are now worried they were victims of his warped fantasies.
Hopper worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals from 2013 but was suspended in March 2023 after an investigation was launched.
The Trust previously confirmed that the criminal charges against him did not relate to his “professional conduct”‘ and there has been “no evidence to suggest any risk to patients”.
But patients who underwent amputations have contacted medical negligence firm Enable Law.
Mike Bird, partner at Enable Law, said the case had caused “shock and grave concern” among his former patients.
He added: “Some have had life-changing surgery and are now worried it was not really needed.
“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.”
Hopper claimed he and his daughter had fallen unwell on a camping trip in 2019 and was later diagnosed with sepsis.
He said he would have have needed multiple operations and skin grafts to save his legs.
Hopper also claimed there was no guarantee the surgeries would work and feared the skin grafts would impact his work so he opted to cut his legs off.
But his web of lies unravelled when police arrested .
Cannibalistic ringleader Gustavson, who had his own penis cut off, the tip of his nipple removed and his leg frozen so that it had to be amputated, was previously .
The court heard Hopper bought three videos from the EunuchMaker.com website for £10 and £35, respectively, showing men willingly having their genitals removed.
Hopper exchanged around 1,500 messages with Gustavson about his own lower leg amputations and how he had done it.
In April 2019, he decided to cause “irreversible damage to his legs” when his family were staying with his in-laws.
Prosecutor Nicholas Lee 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.”
The dad, who carried out hundreds of amputation operations on others, was branded the “Bravest surgeon in Britain”.
He was shortlisted in the European Space Agency’s search for an astronaut with a disability and featured in a documentary around his progress towards heading to space.
The medic was placed under restrictions by the General Medical Council in April 2023.
He has been suspended from the medical register since December 2023.
The Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust has worked alongside police during the investigation.
It said after the case that the convictions did not relate to Hopper’s “professional conduct” at its hospitals.
A spokesperson confirmed the trust had carried out “comprehensive clinical reviews of surgery” by Hopper, “including engaging an experienced independent clinical expert to review decisions to operate”.
They added: “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.”
Assistant Chief Constable Jim Pearce said Devon and Cornwall Police had “worked closely” with the trust and “none of the criminal charges related to Hopper’s professional conduct with no risk to patients he treated in his work at the hospital identified during the current police investigation”.
Hopper was branded Britain’s bravest surgeon after opening up about his battle
He carried out numerous ops following his own amputation
Hopper was obsessed with ‘Eunuch Maker’ Marius Gustavson 
