UK surgeon jailed after amputating own legs for sexual gratification, making over $600,000 in insurance claims

In a shocking incident, a doctor based in the United Kingdom’s Cornwall was jailed for 32 months after he deliberately got his own legs amputated for sexual gratification. Neil Hopper, 49, an NHS vascular surgeon, used dry ice to freeze his legs to the point they needed to be removed. He also made nearly £500,000 ($676000) in insurance claims. Hopper is facing charges of insurance fraud and possessing extreme pornography.

Hopper, who has carried out hundreds of amputation operations, had his legs removed in May 2019 after a “mysterious illness”. During his hearing at the Truro Crown Court, prosecutors alleged that he lied to insurers, claiming his injuries were due to sepsis and not self-inflicted.

Hopper, who had a “sexual interest in amputation,” was found guilty of two counts of fraud and three counts of possessing extreme pornography.

The surgeon first complained that his feet were in pain. He was then treated for suspected sepsis, after which he was told by doctors that he should have his legs amputated, and an operation was carried out. He did not reveal the real cause of his injuries to the medical professional, according to the court.

Hopper managed to fraudulently claim a total of more than £466,000 ($630,087) from two insurance firms. Prosecutor Nicholas Lee said that Hopper had been tempted by “greed”. As quoted by the BBC, he added, “His motivations were a combination of obsession with removing parts of his own body and a sexual interest in doing so. It seems to have been a long-standing ambition of his.”

After six months of operation, he was back at work with prosthetic legs. Hopper, who worked at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT), was arrested in March 2023. He was suspended from the medical register in December 2023.

Meanwhile, his former patients are now seeking legal advice over the treatment they received from Hopper, fearing it was not needed. Assistant Chief Constable Jim Pearce said since the case, 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.”