The Upper Gastrointestinal (UGI) Surgery Unit offers a personalised approach to surgery. Our unit specialises in treating gastroesophageal reflux and hiatus hernias. The unit also offers emergency and elective laparoscopic (keyhole) gallbladder surgery, as well as a variety of general surgical procedures including laparoscopic and open groin and umbilical hernia surgery.
We offer 95% of our abdominal procedures through keyhole surgery. We aim for all our patients go home on the same day of their surgery. Patients with significant medical problems receive enhanced care for a speedy recovery.
Features of the unit
• Dedicated referral pathway for GP referrals
• Access to endoscopy for diagnostic and treatment purposes, with sedation or under general anaesthesia
• Radiological tests done at both sites of the Trust
• Close links with all UGI units in North-West London
• All patients are discussed at multi-disciplinary meetings at Hillingdon with the Anaesthetic Team. All patients are discussed in the joint Northwick Park Hospital and Hillingdon Hospital multidisciplinary specialist reflux and swallowing meeting.
Meet the team
Mr Mohamed Aly MPhil FRCS, Consultant Upper GI and General Surgeon
Ms Nikoletta Petrou BSc(Hons) MBBS FRCS, Consultant Upper GI and General Surgeon
Miss Claire O’ Shea – Upper GI Unit lead administrator
Mr Aly gained his expertise in UGI surgery working in the East of England deanery. He worked at Luton and Dunstable Hospital, one of the UK's leading UGI and bariatric centres. He conducted his research at the University of Cambridge where he gained a Master of Philosophy (MPhil). Alongside UGI, Mr Aly has a special interest in bariatric surgery and patient outcomes.
Ms Petrou qualified in medicine from Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ School of Medicine and undertook her general surgical training within the London Deanery. Her specialist Upper GI surgical training was undertaken at the Royal Marsden Hospital, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. She further completed a fellowship in complex benign upper GI surgery at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Her interests lie in complex benign upper GI surgery and evidence-based medicine.
Miss O'Shea is the unit's lead administrator, with more than 10 years of experience working in the NHS, with the last seven years within UGI teams, with UGI surgeons and patients.
New appointments and follow-up
The unit holds weekly clinics at both the Hillingdon Hospital and Mount Vernon Hospital. New referrals are usually made by GPs via Rego, using the referral route: Triage request, General Surgery: Upper GI Surgery-The Hillingdon Hospital Trust-RAS. Follow-up arrangements depend on clinical need. Patients can ask for follow-up appointments up to one year after surgery.
Contact us
You can call the unit on 01895 279994 (internally ext 53994) or email thh.ugi@nhs.net.