A plastic surgeon posted “before and after” pictures of a patient’s breasts on Instagram – without asking her permission.
The woman, who was clearly identifiable by her necklace and belly piercing, was horrified when she spotted the photos online.
Nip-and-tuck surgeon Dr Ahmed Abd El Gawad has now received an official rap.
A disciplinary panel heard the woman saw the images after they appeared on a social media account for Mr Plastic Surgeon UK.
The hearing was told the patient, who went under the knife at a private clinic in the North West of England, had not consented to pictures of her breasts being used for advertising purposes.
The General Medical Council was told: “She desperately wanted them taken down.
“She was extremely embarrassed as before her surgery, she would not even let her partner see her without a bra and would never consent to pictures being used on the internet.”
Egyptian Dr El Gawad, who began his career in 1995, was handed a warning by the watchdog. The surgeon, who believed the pictures were unidentifiable, gave the patient an “unreserved apology”.
He was said to have “reflected extensively on the matter”, changed his practices and had educated colleagues not to make the same mistake.
The doctor was among 76 medics who were allowed to keep their jobs after rule-breaking recorded in 2020.
One was reprimanded for a drunken e-scooter ride along the pavements of Germany, while another was in an air rage incident in France. Other doctors were caught with drugs, drink-driving, shoplifting or were rude to colleagues.
One ended up in hot water after he blew his top when talking on the phone to the NHS call centre that deals with staff pensions.
The GMC said: “There are a range of sanctions that can be applied. We only issue warnings where there is clear evidence that a doctor does not continue to pose a threat to patient safety, and they have taken all necessary steps to correct and improve their behaviour.
“A warning is marked against a doctor’s entry on the medical register and is publicly available.
“We will take prompt action to protect patients if a warning is breached.”
