What is laparoscopic surgery?

Laparoscopic or ‘keyhole’ surgery avoids the need for a large incision, as seen with open surgery; instead the operations are performed though small incisions using long and thin surgical equipment and video cameras. This means that patients have minimal scarring, less pain and recovery times are much shorter.

Services available

The following procedures are performed at Homerton:

Gallbladder surgery

We offer laparoscopic surgery to patients during their initial admission with acute cholecystitis. By doing this we can avoid the patient suffering from recurrent cholecystitis or acute pancreatitis whilst on a waiting list. Patients seen in outpatients and deemed fit can have the procedure performed as a day case. Patients will common bile duct stones can have them removed at the time of surgery by laparoscopic bile duct exploration, avoiding the need for ERCP.

Hernia surgery

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) recognises that laparoscopic hernia repair, if performed by trained laparoscopic surgeons, results in:

• less post-operative pain
• a faster return to normal activities
• very low recurrance rates
• avoiding the long-term cutaneous nerve pain or numbness associated with open procedures.

Anti-reflux surgery

Patients who have reflux symptoms despite treatment with PPIs and those who are reluctant to take life-long medication may be candidates for anti-reflux laparoscopic surgery. It is increasingly recognised that atypical symptoms, such as a chronic cough or nocturnal asthma, can be due to gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Obesity surgery

The problems associated with obesity are well recognised. Bariatric surgery is now accepted by NICE as an effective treatment of obesity. Patients referred to Homerton will be assessed by a multi-disciplinary team, which includes obesity surgeons, metabolic physicians, obesity nurse specialist and obesity specialist dietitian. We perform laparoscopic gastric banding, gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy.

Other laparoscopic procedures performed include:

• common bile duct exploration
• cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis
• incisional hernia repair
• splenectomy
• resection of gastric cancer
• hellers myotomy
• small bowel resection
• diagnostic laparoscopy
• appendicetomy
• repair of perforated duodenal ulcer
• adhesiolysis
• full laparoscopic colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease service.

Making an appointment

Please contact your GP to be referred to this service.

How to contact us

To contact the Centre for Laparoscopic Surgery:

tel: 020 8510 7276

email: cls@homerton.nhs.uk

Key staff

Mr Kesava Mannur
Consultant surgeon (upper GI laparoscopic surgeon) with a special interest in upper GI cancers including oesophageal and gastric cancers, gastro oesophageal reflux, obesity and advanced laparoscopic surgery (laparoscopic gastric banding, gastric bypass, sleeve gastroectomy, duodenal switch and revisional obesity surgery), hernias (groin and incisional) and gallstones.

Mr Sanjay Agrawal
Consultant surgeon with a special interest in Bariatric (laparoscopic gastric banding, laparoscopic gastric bypass, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and revisional obesity surgery), Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers including Oesophageal and Gastric cancers, Gastro-oesophageal reflux, Hernias (laparoscopic groin and incisional repairs), Gallstones (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) and advanced laparoscopic surgery.

Mr Yashwant Koak
General surgeon in upper gastrointestinal and bariatric surgery with a special interest in minimally invasive surgery.
Main operations he currently performs are: bariatric surgery – lap gastric banding, lap sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass. upper GI surgery  – including single-port lap cholecystectomy, lap fundoplication, lap hiatus hernia repair. general surgery – including single-port lap hernia repair operations, day case surgery.

Mr Sanjaya Wijeyekoon
Consultant laparoscopic Colorectal and General Surgeon. He has a special interest in complex open and laparoscopic colorectal surgery (inflammatory bowel disease, cancer and functional disorders), Coloproctology (the treatment of haemorrhoids and anal fistula), diagnostic and therapeutic colonoscopy, open and laparoscopic complex abdominal wall repair and reconstruction, laparosocpic biliary surgery and bile duct exploration.

Mrs Kalpana Devalia
Upper GI and bariatric surgeon with a special interest in minimally invasive surgery, bariatric surgery: laparoscopic gastric banding, gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, upper GI : laparoscopic cholecystectomy, laparoscopic hernia repair, laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery and repair of hiatus hernia.

Mr Christian Barnick
Consultant gynaecologist (gynae laparoscopic surgeon)

Miss Cathy Roberts
Consultant gynaecologist (gynae laparoscopic surgeon) with a special interest in pelvic floor dysfunction.