"A former Scottish Premiership and international footballer said his playing career was ruined by disgraced brain surgeon Sam Eljamel. Iain Jenkins said Eljamel "played Russian roulette" with his spine during the 1999 private operation carried out while he was captain of Dundee United. Subsequent complications forced him to retire as a player within two years. A public inquiry into Eljamel, who harmed dozens of patients, leaving some with life-changing injuries, is currently under way."
"To say it nearly broke me would be an understatement. "It's taken my dignity away from me, my pride, my life's been stolen away from me. "I was a professional athlete and I feel that went rapidly. "I'm really angry and I suppose I would like an answer as to why (this happened)". Jenkins started experiencing hamstring and lower back problems in 1998 while at Dundee United."
""He gave me a 70% chance of success and he was quite confident that the operation on my L4 and L5, which was decompressed disc and spine, would be successful." Jenkins said he "expected a few niggles" following the operation, but his fitness started to deteriorate rapidly and he "knew nothing had changed". He said: "When you're playing for an SPL team, your fitness needs to be 90% to 100% per-cent day-in day-out and mine dropped to about 3"
Iain Jenkins was a professional footballer with spells at Everton, Bradford City, Chester City, 28 appearances for Dundee United and six caps for Northern Ireland. Jenkins underwent a private decompression operation on L4 and L5 at Fernbrae Clinic in 1999, performed by neurosurgeon Sam Eljamel, who had given a 70% chance of success. Post-operative complications caused rapid decline in fitness, persistent hamstring and lower back problems, and retirement within two years. Jenkins reports loss of dignity, pride and his athletic career. A public inquiry is under way into Eljamel, who was suspended in 2013 after harming dozens of patients.
Read at www.bbc.com
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