Gqeberha surgeon Dr Nico van Niekerk, who was earlier in 2023 found guilty of malpractice after one of his patients nearly died on his operating table, has lost his application for leave to appeal against the ruling.

In April, Van Niekerk, a general surgeon at Netcare Greenacres Hospital, was found to have acted unlawfully when he performed laparoscopic surgery intended to correct a previous procedure his patient, Sherillee Morris, had undergone...