General Surgery

The General Surgery department based at Sandwell Hospital deals with conditions of the stomach, liver, kidneys, intestines and other vital organs in the abdomen (belly). There are 14 surgeons in the team, each with specialist knowledge and experience. Many of the procedures carried out by the team are Day Surgery cases.

Adults and children with abdominal problems are dealt with either through routine outpatient appointments, or if necessary by emergency procedure. The department offers a comprehensive service from initial assessment through to surgery, medication or counseling. We also operate a 2-week fast-track system for any GP-referred patients with cancer symptoms.

The department also carries out breast surgery at Birmingham Treatment Centre.

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Team

Consultant surgeons

Colorectal
Miss Kathryn Gill
Mr Rajeev Peravali
Mr Vijay Thumbe
Mr Raj Mankotia
Mr Christopher Thompson
Mr Anil George
Mr Shan Rout
Mr Manickam Vairavan (locum)
Mr Diwakar Sarma

Upper Gastro-intestinal
Mr Edward Harper
Mr Dham Mobarak
Mr Yogesh Kumar
Mr Karim Sillah 
Mr Vijay Korwar
Dr Shankar Balakrishnan – Speciality Doctor

Advanced Practice

Bernard Seery – Advanced Clinical Practitioner

Romana Reumann – Trainee Robotic Surgical Care Practitioner 

Management Team

Natasha Dupree – Directorate General Manager

Angie Surridge, Amanda Green, Angie Birkett – Matrons

Kayleigh Jepson – Service Manager

Joanne Beasley – Patient Administration Manager

Specialist Nurses 

Colorectal
Mandie Ballentine (Macmillan)
Sara Connor (Macmillan)
Jodie Pedley
Joelle La Caille

Upper Gastro-intestinal
Kath Johnson
Jo Harvey

Colorectal and Stoma service
Team Lead
Sara Connor

Clinical Nurse Specialists
Joelle Lacaille
Jodie Pedley
Janine Irving
Danielle Graham

Stoma Health Care Assistants
Natalie Hickman
Janet Blastock

Team Secretary
Jayne Lockley – 0121 507 3376 

Cancer Navigator
Kerry O Brien

Services

The general surgery team treats many abdominal conditions, and offers several clinics. The team also carries out endoscopy services (using a tiny video camera on a thin, flexible tube to see inside the body).

The team provides planned and acute surgical procedures in the following areas:

Colorectal Surgery
Colorectal surgery deals with conditions in the lower gastro-intestinal tract. This consists of the colon (large intestine) and the rectum (back passage). Surgeons deal with conditions that are benign (harmless lumps, piles, obstructions) or malignant (cancerous). Conditions treated also include fissures, fistulas, colitis, Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease.

Many of these conditions can be treated with keyhole surgery to avoid open surgery. Instead of creating a large opening during surgery, a much smaller incision is made. Surgeons use state-of-the-art instruments used to complete the procedure. Some procedures can be carried out under local anaesthetic (while patients are awake). Patients benefit from smaller scars, a quicker recovery and shorter stays in hospital.

Specialist clinics provided are:

• Rectal clinics – for all rectal and colonic symptoms, and urgent referrals
• Pelvic floor and functional bowel clinic – for disorders of the bowel and evacuation problems
• Anal physiology clinic – problems with defecation
• Stoma clinics – provided by a specialist nursing team for patients with colostomies

Upper GI Surgery
The upper gastro-intestinal tract includes the oesophagus (the food tube which links the throat to the stomach), the stomach itself, duodenum and pancreas. The team deals with benign (non-cancerous) disorders like ulcers, hyperacidity and anti-reflux surgery. Many of these conditions can be treated with keyhole surgery to avoid open surgery.

General Surgery
General surgery deals with conditions of the gall bladder, such as gallstones or complete removal, and stones in the bile duct. The team also treats various forms of hernia (a tear in the muscles of the belly) in either the groin or abdomen. Many of these conditions can be treated with keyhole surgery to avoid open surgery.

Emergency Surgery
The General Surgery team carries out acute surgical procedures for all conditions affecting the abdomen.  The most common are conditions of the appendix, or ulcer perforations in the stomach or duodenum. The team also deals with emergency procedures for the gall bladder, along with perforation or obstruction of the colon or small intestine.

Lyndon 2 at Sandwell is a ward dedicated to such emergency procedures, with highly skilled and experienced nursing and support staff.

Paediatric Surgery
Children aged 2 to 16 who need surgery for hernias, undescended testes, circumcision, tongue tie division or minor skin lumps are seen and operated on at Sandwell Hospital and at the Birmingham Treatment Centre.

Patient Stories

Please feel free to share your experiences of this service. Please e-mail your views to swbh.comms@nhs.net

Patient Information

Colorectal patient information leaflets
Colostomy irrigation
Colorectal Specialist Nursing Service

Contacts

Consultants may be contacted via their secretaries by either calling the switchboard on 0121 507 1831 or on the numbers below:

Secretary – Wendy Blackford  0121 507 3393
Mr Rajeev Peravali
Mr Diwakar Sarma
Dr Sankar Balakrishnan (Specialty Doctor)

Secretary – Michelle Hadley  0121 507 3968
Mr Rajinish Mankotia
Mr Yogesh Kumar
Mr Vijay Korwar

Secretary – Jane Jones  0121 507 3459
Mr Vijay Thumbe

Secretary – Ofsana Parveen  0121 507 3399
Mr Shantanu Rout
Mr Indika Ratnayake (Locum)

Secretary – Jayne Vaughan  0121 507 3394
Mr Dham Mobarak
Mr Christopher Thompson

Secretary – Lesley Jordan  0121 507 3226
Mr Anil George
Mr Edward Harper

Secretary – Alicia Mann  0121 507 4959
Mr Karim Sillah
Mr Manickam Vairavan (Locum)

Secretary – Lisa Carter  0121 507 3149
Mr Andrew Torrance  (has now left Trust – awaiting replacement)