Authorities have arrested a renowned neurosurgeon after he allegedly allowed his 12-year-old daughter to drill a hole into a patient’s skull during brain surgery, sparking outrage and horror across the medical community. The shocking incident took place inside an operating room at a hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, where the surgeon reportedly gave the child hands-on access to a life-or-death procedure.
Prosecutors say the surgeon, identified as 66-year-old Dr. Marcos de Almeida, permitted his daughter to handle surgical equipment during a craniotomy — a complex operation that involves drilling through the skull to reach the brain. According to investigators cited by BBC News, the patient, a 78-year-old woman, was under anesthesia when the child allegedly took part in the operation.
Video footage recovered by law enforcement reportedly shows the girl wearing surgical scrubs and holding the drill under her father’s guidance. In the recording, which has not been released to the public, the surgeon can be heard calmly instructing his daughter on where to apply pressure as she drills into the skull. Hospital staff members later testified that the scene “felt surreal” and “deeply wrong.”
“This was not a simulation. This was a real patient on the table.” — Brazilian prosecutor @BBCWorld
“This was not a simulation. This was a real patient on the table,” a prosecutor told reporters at a press conference covered by Reuters. “It is one of the most egregious violations of medical ethics we have ever seen.”
According to court filings reviewed by The Guardian, the patient survived the surgery but was never informed that an unlicensed minor had participated. Her family reportedly learned of the incident only after whistleblowers inside the hospital alerted authorities, prompting a criminal investigation that quickly escalated.
The surgeon was arrested at his home early Thursday morning and faces charges of medical malpractice, child endangerment, and aggravated assault. Under Brazilian law, the charges could carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years. His medical license has already been suspended by the Federal Council of Medicine pending disciplinary hearings.
In a chilling interview with G1 São Paulo, one operating room nurse said she initially thought the girl’s presence was part of a teaching demonstration using a dummy. “But then I realized the patient was connected to anesthesia and her skull was open,” the nurse said. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was horrifying.”
“I thought it was a dummy… then I saw the skull was open.” — OR nurse @GloboNews
The hospital where the operation took place — which has not been named publicly for legal reasons — released a statement condemning the surgeon’s actions, calling them “inexcusable and not reflective of the institution’s standards.” Administrators confirmed that multiple staff members who failed to intervene have also been suspended pending review.
Legal experts told The New York Times that the case is likely to spark nationwide debate over medical oversight in Brazil, where top surgeons often wield extraordinary authority in operating rooms. “There’s a culture of hierarchy,” said one medical law specialist. “When a senior surgeon says something, many staff are too afraid to speak up — even in extreme situations like this.”
The arrest has sent shockwaves far beyond Brazil. Medical professionals worldwide have reacted with disbelief on platforms like X and TikTok, where clips of the story have gone viral. Many are calling for stricter oversight and whistleblower protections in hospitals to prevent similar incidents from being buried.
“If nurses and staff had felt empowered to speak up, this would never have happened.” — Medical ethicist @nytimes
The patient’s family has since filed a civil lawsuit against both the surgeon and the hospital, demanding compensation and criminal accountability. Their lawyer told CNN the woman was “treated like an experiment, not a human being.” He added: “She trusted the hospital to save her life. Instead, they handed her over to a child.”
Under Brazilian regulations, no unlicensed person may participate in surgical procedures under any circumstances. Even medical students in training are closely monitored and may not perform critical tasks without supervision. The fact that a 12-year-old was given a surgical drill has been described by health officials as “an unthinkable breach of every protocol imaginable.”
Dr. Almeida’s defense attorney claims the child’s involvement was “symbolic and minimal,” arguing that she “did not endanger the patient.” But prosecutors counter that allowing an unqualified minor to touch any medical instrument during live surgery constitutes criminal negligence — and say the video proves the surgeon’s active participation in the act.
The Brazilian Health Ministry has announced a full investigation into hospital oversight and has called for new legislation requiring real-time monitoring of high-risk surgical procedures. A spokesperson said, “This case has exposed a dangerous gap in how authority is exercised in operating rooms. It will not be tolerated again.”
“This was a dangerous gap in how authority is exercised in operating rooms. It will not be tolerated again.” — Health Ministry @Reuters
For now, the surgeon remains in custody while prosecutors prepare to bring the case to trial. The 12-year-old girl, who is not facing charges, is reportedly receiving psychological counseling as authorities weigh how to handle the aftermath of the unprecedented scandal. The patient remains in stable condition but is traumatized by the revelation of what occurred while she was unconscious on the table.
The case is being described by medical ethicists as one of the most alarming breaches of trust in modern surgical history. “This isn’t just malpractice,” said one expert to The Washington Post. “This is a betrayal of everything medicine stands for — and of a vulnerable human being who had no voice in that room.”
