UK3 min(s) read
Published 13:20 14 Aug 2026 GMT
An NHS surgeon who allegedly lied about suffering from a serious illness so he could have his own legs amputated for sexual gratification has been described by the daughter of one of his former patients.
Neil Hopper was once a highly regarded vascular surgeon and became something of a public figure after appearing on This Morning to discuss how he claimed sepsis had resulted in the loss of both his legs.
However, his story later unraveled. Hopper was arrested in March 2023 and subsequently faced two fraud charges and three charges relating to possession of extreme pornography.
The material was linked to Marius Gustavson, dubbed the "Eunuch Maker", who was jailed after carrying out extreme genital amputations on men who he claimed had consented to the procedures for fetish purposes.
Before his arrest, Hopper had operated on 72-year-old Liz Spooner, removing one of her legs at Royal Cornwall Hospital.
Liz's daughter, Faye Harrison, said the operation took considerably longer than the family had anticipated.
When her mother regained consciousness, she was reportedly delirious because of the anesthetic and morphine and refused both food and medication.
A consultant surgeon subsequently spoke to Liz privately, and Faye discovered that the doctor was Hopper.
"He was smiley. He came across as quite charming and caring," Faye told The Guardian.
She then noticed his prosthetic legs.
"I remember looking down – you look down at the floor a lot when you have these kinds of conversations – and I noticed he'd got metal sticks coming out of his trouser legs," she recalled.
"I thought, blimey, he's operated on my mum, but he's also an amputee."
Hopper had become a double amputee in 2019 following what he described at the time as suspected sepsis, undergoing amputations below both knees.
His disability subsequently became a major part of his public persona. He used the social media handle @bionicsurgeon to share his experiences and even applied to the European Space Agency in the hope of becoming its first astronaut with a disability.
For Faye, Hopper's own experience initially made her believe he would have particular empathy for her mother.
She said she viewed his disability as something that gave him "amazing empathy."
Faye even recalled telling her husband about meeting the surgeon.
"It's awful, really, but I remember saying, 'He's got prosthetic legs – and his name's Hopper.' Because, in times like that, you look for anything that's going to make you laugh."
However, the length of her mother's operation left Faye puzzled. She had expected the procedure to take about five or six hours, but it ultimately lasted about 11 hours.
Faye said the family was never told why the surgery took so much longer than expected.
She also claimed her mother was never the same after leaving the operating theatre, experiencing significant confusion and delirium.
Sadly, Liz died several days later after developing pneumonia during her hospital stay.
Three years later, Faye learned of Hopper's arrest and said she was horrified to discover that he had been involved in her mother's treatment.
"Oh my God, I felt sick that he was even near my mom," she added.
Faye also questioned whether Hopper's actions towards patients had been properly scrutinized.
"He hasn't been punished for what he's done to patients," she claimed.
"I just refuse to believe that there weren't ulterior motives behind the operations he carried out."
