Why did you decide to become a Consultant Laparoscopic GI and Bariatric Surgeon ?

I chose my specialty because I wanted to excel in the technical craft of keyhole surgery. The kinds of surgery that I do require the most skill and dexterity for a surgeon to perform. Ultimately, most surgeons are mechanics, and you can either be an average mechanic or you can be a really good mechanic. If you need your car fixed, you are not going to take it to an average garage, you are going to take it to the best shop. That is the kind of ethos I bring to my work. Additionally, I make sure that my patients get the safest surgery when they come to see me, with a very warm and friendly approach to optimise their treatment.

What are the common symptoms that your patients tend to present with?

I see a range of patients, some with problems relating to their gastrointestinal system, others wishing to lose weight, so I cover a wide spectrum of conditions. I also see patients for surgical emergencies. Most of my academic research is in the field of weight loss surgery, and I am currently running research trials in acid reflux surgery as well.

What are the treatments that you're able to offer your patients?

There are no limits to the diagnostics we can offer. At the HCA facilities, we provide a whole spectrum of diagnostic modalities. In terms of treatment options, I am a super specialist in the field of laparoscopic, or keyhole, surgery, which ensures that patients have the best possible cosmetic result from their surgery, with minimal scarring, the quickest recovery, and the least pain following surgery.

What are your areas of sub-specialist interest?

One of the things I am known for is what is called mini laparoscopic surgery, or micro laparoscopic surgery. This is the newest innovation in the field of laparoscopic surgery, where we are performing operations using needle-sized instruments. The scarring is almost negligible, so patients are left with little tiny dots on their skin as opposed to lines. I try to use this micro laparoscopic technique for all the general surgeries I perform, including weight loss surgery, so that patients get the best possible cosmetic result with almost no scars. Because the incisions are so small, the pain patients experience is minimised and their recovery and return to normal function is expedited. In the field of weight loss surgery specifically, I am the current President of the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society. I offer all the established weight loss surgical approaches, including sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass surgery, and revision surgeries, to help people who are carrying excess weight to lose it in a very efficient and safe way.