Melbourne surgeon failed to tell patient he invented ‘experimental’ device used to replace jaw joints, court documents claim

Dr George Dimitroulis, who is being sued in a Victorian court by a former patient, denies any injuries were caused by negligence or the prosthesis

• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

A Melbourne surgeon failed to tell a patient undergoing major jaw surgery that the device she was being implanted was an “experimental” one that he invented, and that he also created the classification system used to diagnose her condition as severe enough to warrant removing her jaw joints, according to documents filed in a Victorian court case accusing him of negligence.

The surgeon, Dr George Dimitroulis, is being sued by a former patient, Bianca*, who alleged in a statement of claim filed to Victoria’s supreme court that he did not fully advise her of the risks before the operation.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup