A court has heard that a former New South Wales gynaecologist told a nurse it did not matter that he had cut out a patient's clitoris, because her husband was dead.
The former doctor who cannot be named has pleaded not guilty to causing the 58-year-old woman grievous bodily harm during an operation on her in 2002.
In her opening address, prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC said the doctor deliberately set out to hurt the woman and did not have her consent for the radical surgery.
The District Court in Sydney heard that the woman had a cancer that required a small amount of skin to be removed from her genital area in a simple operation.
The prosecutor said the woman woke up in enormous pain and will testify that before the operation the doctor put his face close to her and said, "I'm going to take your clitoris too".
Ms Cunneen said the woman will tell the court she saw the doctor in a blue theatre gown and face mask.
She said other medical experts will also testify that the radical surgery was unnecessary.
In defence, the accused doctor's lawyer said the he was doing what was necessary for the health of the patient.
The lawyer described the cancer as a serious one, he said it was "like a timebomb ticking ready to go off".
He said the type of cancer the woman had can be fatal.
The lawyer also told the jury to be cautious about any evidence the woman gives about what she heard before being fully anaesthetised.
He said other medical staff in the operating theatre will testify they did not hear the doctor tell the woman he would cut out her clitoris.
The doctor's lawyer said the woman's complaint was made years after the operation and his client was trying to save her life.
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