Operative report patient data removal strips the names of the person treated and the surgeon from the surgical text under UK GDPR Art. 9 and DPA 2018. anonym.plus runs offline and leaves the technique and findings whole.
When this applies
The file names the surgeon, the team, the case, and the date. To show it in M&M review or send it to a registry, you must clear those identifiers first.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Bring the report into anonym.plus on your workstation.
- The tool splits the surgical text from names, dates, and identifiers.
- Surgeon, assistant, and service-user names get flagged together.
- Swap them for clear labels like [SURGEON] and [PATIENT].
- Save the clean report on your device.
What you need to provide
- The report (PDF, DOCX, or dictation transcript).
- An operator (Replace keeps the text flowing).
- Optional role map so one surgeon maps to one label across files.
Patient data entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | Dr. Alvarez → [SURGEON] |
| Names | PERSON | R. Haddad → [PATIENT] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | 2026-02-09 → [DATE] |
| Record IDs | MEDICAL_RECORD_NUMBER | #OR-5521 → [CASE_ID] |
| Location | LOCATION | Theatre 3, St Thomas’ → [FACILITY] |
| Device | MEDICAL_LICENSE | implant 9F-22 → [DEVICE_ID] |
Compliance achieved
- Meets UK GDPR Art. 9 & DPA 2018 once all identifier types are removed.
- Implant and device serials are caught as unique identifiers.
- Fully offline — no cloud exposure of surgical data.
Anonymise operative reports offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
Device serials and rare implants are caught as identifiers. But a rare procedure on a known date at a small site can still narrow identity. Pair this with date-shifting, and apply the ICO motivated-intruder test for rare cases.
Frequently asked questions
Are surgeon names personal data?
Under UK GDPR, named clinicians are identifiable individuals. Teams often remove them for blinded review. anonym.plus can redact or swap provider names along with those of the person treated.
Does patient data removal change the technique?
No. Only identifiers change. The approach, findings, and closure stay word for word.
Can labels stay steady across many reports?
Yes. With a name map, one individual or surgeon maps to one label everywhere.