Former Premier League striker wins court battle over unnecessary surgery
A former Premier League striker has won a major court victory after a judge ruled that an unnecessary medical procedure likely brought his top-flight career to an early end. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, a former Wolverhampton Wanderers forward, succeeded in the first stage of a High Court case against an orthopaedic surgeon over treatment he received following a leg injury sustained during a match in 2013.
The court heard that while Ebanks-Blake required surgery for a broken leg, the surgeon also carried out an additional ankle procedure during the operation. The former footballer argued that this extra procedure was not medically necessary and was performed without proper justification. He told the court that the surgery caused long-term pain and inflammation, which later developed into osteoarthritis, severely limiting his ability to compete at the highest level.
In her ruling, the judge found that the decision to perform the additional surgery was neither reasonable nor logical under the circumstances. The court accepted evidence that if the ankle had been left alone and monitored, Ebanks-Blake could have continued playing at a high level for several more years. Although he continued his career in lower divisions before retiring in 2019, the judge agreed that his Premier League prospects were significantly damaged.
The surgeon denied wrongdoing and maintained that the treatment was appropriate and helped extend the player’s career. However, the court ruled in favour of Ebanks-Blake on the issue of negligence. A separate hearing will now determine the level of compensation, which is expected to be several million pounds.
The case has drawn attention to medical decision-making in elite sport and the lasting impact that surgical choices can have on professional athletes whose careers depend on physical fitness and longevity.
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