Hong Kong’s Medical Council ruled on Monday that orthopaedist Dr Daniel Wu Yiang committed professional misconduct on four charges for performing an unconventional syndesmosis bunion surgery at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital without providing the patient sufficient details on the procedure or alternatives. The patient complained of left toe pain, swelling and clawing deformity for months after the November 20, 2018 operation. The council issued a public warning letter and reprimanded Wu.
Hong Kong’s Medical Council found registered orthopaedist Dr Daniel Wu Yiang guilty of professional misconduct on four charges on Monday, March 30. The case stems from a syndesmosis procedure, a soft-tissue bunion surgery he advocates, performed on a female patient’s left foot at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital on November 20, 2018, without detailing the operation’s benefits, risks or alternatives to her.
The inquiry panel heard that the patient endured months of left toe pain, swelling and clawing deformity post-surgery. The council reprimanded Wu for inconsistent descriptions in his paperwork and incomplete information on the patient’s insurance form and fee note.
Wu has been on the city’s Specialist Register since 1998 and founded the Centre for No-Bone-Breaking Bunion Surgery in Causeway Bay, where he researches the syndesmosis procedure. The council issued a gazetted public warning letter against him.
The ruling underscores the importance of informed consent in medical practice, even for experienced specialists like Wu.