Dr Philippe Wilmes stated to RTL “what I am going through is horrible”, saying he has been anonymously accused of acts he does not recognise and that, at first, he had no real opportunity to defend himself. He explained that he was forced to piece together what was happening on his own, while already having to respond to accusations before even knowing their full scope. In his view, the situation appears to be driven by an effort to seriously damage his professional standing.
As to why this might be happening, Dr Wilmes said he does not yet know. However, he claimed to have indications pointing in that direction and said he would speak about them once the time is right. He also expressed the feeling that several people were actively involved in pushing matters in that direction. For now, his priority is to refute the allegation that he operated on healthy knees and to reassure the public.
So far, 35 people have contacted the patient advocacy group Patientevertriedung, reporting knee problems following surgery or saying they were subsequently seen by another doctor. Dr Wilmes stated that over the course of his career he has carried out around 5,500 operations, adding that each year, he sees roughly 5,000 patients in consultation, of whom about 10% require surgery.
That amounts to around 500 operations per year, including close to 80 anterior cruciate ligament procedures, figures he has been recording since 2013. He acknowledged that whenever a patient does not achieve a good outcome after surgery, it is already one patient too many, and said he would welcome those concerned getting in touch with him directly.
Asked whether every operation he performed was medically justified, Dr Wilmes replied unequivocally that they were. He added that he and his team had received 16 patient identification numbers linked to the cases under review. Having examined those files, he said he could state clearly that none involved a healthy knee.
Dr Wilmes also stressed that he remains available to his patients. He emphasised that he is still available for consultations, and that patients can still contact him by phone or in writing. For those who require surgery, he said there are currently two options: either they wait until he is able to operate again, or, if the situation is more urgent, he will ensure they are treated just as well by one of his colleagues.
Regarding legal action, Dr Wilmes said preparations are complete and that an administrative appeal, along with an urgent interim relief application, will be filed on Thursday. He emphasised the importance of fully clarifying the case and said that once this is done, it will be necessary to assess what consequences should follow and where, including at a political level if appropriate.
Three independent experts still need to be appointed to determine whether healthy knees were operated on. One expert will be nominated by the Ministry of Health and Social Security, one by Dr Wilmes himself, and the third will be chosen jointly by the first two experts.
Dr Wilmes also believes that many of the projects he has already launched, or plans to develop, risk being dragged down by this affair. Even so, he said he continues to receive strong support from those involved in developing the Findel Clinic alongside him, from fellow doctors participating in the project, and from his patients. He insisted that the project will continue to be developed in the interest of patients.
