…She gave me approval, says doctor
In what appears to be a deeply unsettling case, Mrs Suzan Okeafor has accused Lagos-based doctor, Joseph Ayelaje, of performing a hysterectomy (womb removal surgery) without her consent. The mother of two claims she had only consented to a fibroid removal but was horrified to learn weeks later that her womb had been taken out. This claim has been denied by the gynaecologist, GODFREY GEORGE writes
For Mrs Suzan Okeafor, 44, life has not been the same since March 29, 2024, when she went under the knife.
What was supposed to be a straightforward myomectomy—an operation to remove fibroids—ended with her womb being taken out “without her consent.”
The doctor involved, the Managing Director of Holyfill Hospital in Ikorodu, Lagos, Joseph Ayelaja, however, claimed that she gave her consent.
Our correspondent learnt that the gynaecologist has since reached out to several bodies, including the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association, to broker peace.
Now, Suzan, a mother of two daughters, grapples with anxiety, panic attacks, and the haunting reality that her chance to bear another child has been taken from her forever.
A simple consultation
It all began in February when she and her family registered with Holyfill Hospital.
Ayelaja was recommended by her health maintenance organisation, Marina Medical Services Limited, as someone capable of performing the fibroid surgery she urgently needed.
The procedure, known as a myomectomy, was supposed to help her find relief from pain, heavy bleeding, and other symptoms caused by the fibroids, which had already caused one miscarriage and hindered further pregnancies.
“When I met with the doctor,” she recalls, “he suggested a hysterectomy.” A hysterectomy involves the removal of the womb, permanently ending a woman’s ability to conceive.
But according to Suzan, she was clear about her wishes.
“I told him that was not an option for me. I wanted the myomectomy done as soon as possible to avoid another heavy menstrual flow.”
The woman said she declined having a hysterectomy and opted for the less invasive myomectomy, which would remove the fibroids while leaving her womb intact.
Her health maintenance organisation approved the request promptly, she told Saturday PUNCH.
The surgery was initially scheduled for March 30 but was moved to March 29 due to scheduling conflicts on the doctor’s end.
On that day, the highly apprehensive woman arrived at the hospital with her husband, both confident that she would leave the operating theatre with restored health and her family’s dreams intact.
A successful surgery?
Suzan said she asked the hospital staff if her husband could be present during the surgery, but her request was turned down.
After the procedure, when the effect of the anaesthesia had worn off, there was no indication that anything had gone wrong.
For the duration of her recovery at the hospital, she said she repeatedly asked to see the fibroid that was removed. But, according to her, each time, she was given vague responses and saw nothing.
Two months passed, and yet, something felt wrong – she had not had her menstrual cycle since the surgery.
On a follow-up visit to the hospital, her world was upended by a shocking revelation.
“That was when the doctor bluntly told me the most horrible news ever—that he took out my womb,” she recounted, her voice tinged with disbelief.
“I was in shock. I quickly ran to the nearest lab to do a pelvic scan, and that was where I confirmed the horrible truth that he really did take out my womb.”
Her devastation was immediate and profound. This wasn’t what she had agreed to, she stated.
The realisation that her reproductive future had been altered without her consent shook her to the core.
She described the weight of the discovery, her voice heavy with pain and disbelief. She said, “We wanted another child, a male. We have two girls already. The fibroid was the only obstacle to me conceiving naturally.”
Determined to find answers, Suzan and her husband took the matter to their HMO, seeking clarity on how such a grave error could have occurred.
Our correspondent, who saw the email thread, saw that the HMO approved a fibroid removal surgery and not a hysterectomy.
In one of the emails, which our correspondent obtained, the officer in charge of the HMO told the doctor to produce the signed papers, but the document tendered showed no evidence that the couple requested for removal of the womb.
Ayelaje in the email thread stressed that the couple requested a hysterectomy, a statement Suzan categorically denied.
She said, “I never suggested or agreed to such a procedure.”
Realising that their pleas were being ignored, the family reported the case to the local police station in Owutu, Ikorodu.
Our correspondent, who spoke to the Investigating Police Officer in charge of the case, Adekunle Alasopupo, confirmed that the matter was reported. The policeman, however, asked this reporter to visit the station with Suzan to ‘confirm’ the case.
He also claimed to have transferred the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Lagos; a claim which our reporter cannot validate as of the time of filing this report.
Suzan said she reported the case to the Owutu Police Station on May 18 and investigations began.
A police officer who works at the Owutu Police Station but did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the matter confirmed Suzan’s claims.
The officer also noted that the matter was transferred to theSCID Panti, Lagos.
Our correspondent reached out to the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, to validate this assertion. The PPRO promised to reach out to the Divisional Police Officer of the station to find out the status of the case. He had yet to do that as of the time of filing this report. Multiple follow-up messages and calls were sent on Friday before press time, but they were not responded to as well.
In a WhatsApp conversation with Suzan on June 14, of which a screenshot was obtained by our correspondent, Ayelaje stated that he was doing the family a favour which they would be grateful for.
