Tim Underwood is a consultant surgeon and MRC clinician scientist – and he took to the stage at Winchester Discovery Centre to explain why he is desperate to put himself out of business.
Tim’s aim is to eradicate the oesophageal cancer that he currently removes from patients on a daily basis, contributing to new genetic technologies and performing his own research into preventing the support the body provides to the growth of cancer.
Sharing the results of research collaboration
The third in a series of such events held by Southampton’s university-hospital clinical research partnership, Tim Underwood’s ‘Surgeon’ drew a huge response from the audience, firing a barrage of applause and questions and continuing the debate well beyond the end of the event on the evening of Wednesday, 24 April.
The success of this event will surely support Tim’s belief in improving transparency in the NHS through doctors and surgeons holding open public events throughout their career to aid engagement and openness and help demystify medicine.
"Public engagement events, such as this, are the perfect way to express the complexities of working in the modern NHS and, regardless of whether or not doctors or surgeons want to, it should be a requirement for all teams of clinicians to hold one or two open events a year," he said.
"It doesn't matter if it's to five people or 500, just offering yourself up to talk candidly about your life and work instils more confidence in you and the people you are treating than any other method and we should embrace it."
Surgery on the big screen, specialist tools to try
Featuring in-the-theatre footage of Tim and colleagues performing open and laparoscopic, or keyhole, surgery, the event also gave people the chance to test their surgical skill on rump steak with ultrasonic scalpels and surgical staplers.
Tim shared insights from the lab, including the emergence of a cheap and simple screening tool, the role of large-scale genetic analyses and his own work on preventing cancer cells from recruiting the support of surrounding healthy cells.
The heartburn cancer
Tim discussed his role in promoting awareness of heartburn as both a contributor and warning sign for oesophageal cancer. Tim concluded his presentation with a clear statement that he believed GPs had an important role in helping to catch the disease early.
"Long-term persistent heartburn is not normal," he advised. "If you've had heartburn every day for three weeks or more you should go and see your doctor and ask the question, 'Do I need to be investigated?'"
Posted on Saturday 19 March 2016