A vascular surgeon regarded as a “pioneer” by his medical peers when it came to treating unusual medical conditions has been sanctioned after a young woman died following a risky surgical procedure.

The case was “a timely reminder to all medical specialists” that doctors planning an out of the ordinary and difficult surgery should exercise caution and discuss the case with colleagues before going ahead, a tribunal said.

The Adelaide-based doctor came to the attention of AHPRA after his 19-year-old patient died following a superior mesenteric artery transplantation (SMA) procedure.

He first saw the patient, who had a severe eating disorder and long-standing abdominal symptoms, in November 2019.