Vascular surgeon Neil Hopper, 49, from Truro, Cornwall, UK, was sentenced to 32 months in prison after admitting to two counts of insurance fraud and three counts of possessing extreme pornography. Hopper deliberately harmed his own legs by submerging them in dry ice for eight hours, which resulted in below-knee amputations. He then deceived two insurance companies, claiming the amputations were due to sepsis, in order to receive a total of approximately £466,000 (around $623,000) in compensation.
In addition, Hopper was found to possess and download extreme pornography from the “EunuchMaker” website, which specializes in content involving extreme body mutilation, including genital amputation. The site was run by Marius Gustavson, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2024.
Before this case came to light, Hopper was a respected doctor who had performed hundreds of amputations on patients throughout his career at the NHS. After his arrest in March 2023, he was suspended and subsequently struck off the medical register in December of the same year.
Former patients of Hopper are now concerned that they may have been subjected to unnecessary surgeries. Although investigations found no evidence that Hopper’s actions harmed patients, many are calling for a public inquiry to clarify the issue.
This case has sent shockwaves through the medical community and serves as a warning about the need for stricter oversight of healthcare professionals.
