Andrew Neil Hopper, a former consultant vascular surgeon, was sentenced in 2025 after admitting to multiple offenses linked to the double amputation of both his legs.
Prosecutors alleged that Hopper deliberately concealed the true reason behind his actions, while the case drew widespread attention due to claims that the procedure was connected to a f*tish.
Highlights
- Vascular surgeon Andrew Neil Hopper, who once performed amputations on patients, ended up at the center of a scandal involving the loss of both his own legs.
- During the investigation, officials uncovered thousands of messages linked to a notorious pay-to-view website on the dark web.
- Lead prosecutor Richard Parkhouse argued that Hopper derived pleasure from amputation.
Now, months into his prison sentence, a major new development has thrust the former surgeon back into the headlines and reignited public fascination with the bizarre medical scandal.
"I guess he took it to heart when his guidance counselor told him to find a way to make money doing what he loves,” a netizen wrote.
Andrew Neil Hopper reportedly arranged for both of his legs to be amputated over what many netizens have described as a “sick f*tish”
Image credits: BBC
Andrew Neil Hopper is a 49-year-old former consultant vascular surgeon who worked at Royal Cornwall Hospital in the UK prior to the scandal, a role that involved performing amputations on patients.
In April 2019, Hopper purchased 20kg of dry ice pellets online and submerged his feet and lower legs in the dry ice for eight hours, causing irreversible tissue damage.
He then called paramedics, claiming to be in sudden, agonizing pain. Medical colleagues reportedly believed he was suffering from severe, life-threatening sepsis and performed a double below-the-knee amputation to save his life.
Image credits: Devon and Cornwall Police
Just six months later, the surgeon returned to work using prosthetic legs.
He even gave multiple media interviews about his “inspirational” recovery, won an award for bravery, and campaigned to become the first disabled astronaut in space.
In October 2020, Andrew was named the "Against All Odds" national champion at the annual Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons, recognized for his story of resilience and his advocacy for better emotional and psychological support for amputees.
Image credits: bionicsurgeon
In March 2020, Hopper made a live appearance on the popular UK daytime show This Morning.
During the interview, he told the presenters that he and his daughter had fallen ill during a family camping trip. While his daughter recovered, he claimed his condition rapidly developed into life-threatening sepsis, forcing him to undergo amputations.
Andrew’s explanation was widely accepted for years until an unrelated criminal investigation into a dark web website shed light on the true story behind the incident.
The former surgeon was sentenced to almost three years in prison last September following his guilty plea
Image credits: bionicsurgeon
Using the sepsis diagnosis, Andrew successfully filed critical illness claims with two insurance companies and was reportedly paid a total of roughly $630,000.
However, during an investigation into Marius Gustavson, a Norwegian national who ran a pay-to-view website called EunuchMaker, the Metropolitan Police discovered that Hopper was a registered user who had paid to watch videos on the site.
More importantly, according to official records, investigators uncovered more than 5,000 text messages and emails exchanged directly between Andrew and Gustavson.
Gustavson’s operation allegedly filmed and streamed illegal procedures, including castrations and limb removals, which were carried out in hotel rooms and viewed by paying subscribers.
As part of the investigation, detectives examined Hopper’s bank records and digital receipts, which showed that he had purchased 20kg of dry ice pellets.
They also reportedly found messages in which Hopper told a friend that he intended to “milk” his disability for as much as possible.
Image credits: bionicsurgeon
He was arrested in March 2023. In September 2025, at Truro Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation and three counts of possessing extreme p**nography depicting severe bodily mutilation.
During the proceedings, Hopper’s defense argued that he had suffered from body dysmorphia since childhood and harbored a deep-rooted hatred of his lower limbs, viewing his feet as an “unwelcome extra” and a source of constant discomfort.
Experts at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service deemed Hopper to pose an “extremely high level of risk to public protection”
Following his guilty plea, Andrew was sentenced to 32 months in prison and handed a 10-year S*xual Harm Prevention Order.
At the time, Richard Parkhouse, a Senior Crown Prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), condemned Hopper's actions and described the case as “highly unusual and shocking.”
He said, “Hopper has a s*xual f*tish linked to amputation, and paid to access these images for his own gratification… and fraudulently pocketed almost half a million pounds.”
The case is back in the headlines after Andrew was officially struck off the UK medical register on May 29.
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) concluded a multi-day disciplinary hearing, ruling that Hopper's actions and criminal convictions rendered him permanently unfit to practise medicine.
Image credits: bionicsurgeon
Tribunal chair Samantha Gray stated that Hopper posed “an extremely high level of risk to public protection.”
According to a tribunal decision cited by The Sun, “This means that Dr Hopper’s registration will be suspended from today.”
“The substantive direction, as already announced, will take effect 28 days from the date when written notification is deemed to have been served upon him, unless an appeal is made in the interim.”
Andrew has now been struck off the UK medical register after the tribunal deemed his actions a “blatant disregard for the wellbeing of the public”
Image credits: bionicsurgeon
The tribunal concluded, “If an appeal is made, the immediate order will remain in force until the appeal has concluded.”
Addressing his removal from the medical register, Hopper told the BBC from prison, “I attended the tribunal not to change the outcome but to prove I understand the seriousness. I felt obliged to face the consequences in person. I do have principles, so I chose to face justice head on.”
He further added, “It's taken me years to come to terms with what I've done. I'm a man of deep reflection and conscience. I'm not only ashamed of my actions, I'm appalled I was part of the machinery.”
"I cannot convey how sorry I am. Its behaviour I find impossible to understand. I'm so, so sorry. I've never tried to excuse my actions; they were inexcusable. At the time, I had no understanding of the motivations."
Image credits: bionicsurgeon
Andrew’s permanent removal from the UK medical register means he can no longer legally practice as a doctor, physician, or surgeon in the country.
Moreover, he is prohibited from practicing medicine anywhere in the UK, including within both the NHS and private healthcare sectors.
The ruling has also reportedly been shared with medical regulators abroad, potentially making it significantly more difficult for him to relocate and practice medicine in other countries.
“As a genuine sufferer of sepsis… and now a double leg amputee, I find this individual disgusting…” one social media user fumed online
