Our Bowel Specialists
We are a multidisciplinary team of medical/bowel consultants who have a special interest in conditions affecting the bowel, including cancers. Because we work together as a team we have the expertise to deliver a comprehensive level of care to our patients.
Mr Ian Geh
MBBS MRCP FRCRConsultant Oncologist and Radiotherapist
Mr Tariq Ismail
MB BCh MD (Distinc.) FRCSConsultant Colorectal Surgeon
Mr Ian McCafferty
Bsc MBBS MRCP FRCRConsultant Radiologist
Mr Simon Radley
MBCHB MD FRCSConsultant Colorectal Surgeon
Mr Philippe Taniere
MD PHDConsultant Histopathologist
What we do
We provide a comprehensive and integrated service with a multidisciplinary team approach to the management of bowel conditions. Our team consists of representatives from all specialities involved in a patient's care from initial diagnosis and investigation through to treatment.
The optimum management of bowel conditions requires multimodality involvement in a co-ordinated manner. Decisions regarding individual patients are discussed collectively in order to tailor treatments to achieve optimal results. The initial decision is vital.
Our multidisciplinary team meet on a regular basis to review a patient’s case history, investigations and imaging results. Various treatment options are discussed allowing the treatment and management to be individually tailored, having taken all the relevant factors into consideration.
The team approach allows further discussion following any surgery with collaboration with the pathologist to decide whether any further treatment is required. Our team approach also allows us to collect and audit the long-term outcome data in order to refine and improve future clinical decisions.
The Birmingham Bowel Clinic's multidisciplinary team comprises of the following:
Radiologist
Radiologists are doctors who specialise in medical imaging of conditions using a wide range of techniques. Gastrointestinal radiologists complete their general radiology training, obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists before subspecialising in gastrointestinal imaging. They are fully trained in the medical conditions affecting the bowel and the imaging thereof.
Interventional radiologists can provide a variety of techniques for treatment and the delivery of treatment via a minimally invasive approach.
Colorectal Surgeon or Coloproctologist
Bowel specialists are often called colorectal surgeons or coloproctologists, this usually means that they are abdominal surgeons with a special interest in treating diseases of the colon and rectum. Colorectal surgeons are experts in the surgical and non-surgical treatment of colonic, rectal and anal problems.
They have been fully trained in General Surgery before completing advanced training in the treatment of colonic, rectal and anal problems. Colorectal surgeons treat benign and malignant conditions, perform routine screening examinations and surgically treat problems when necessary.
There are two colorectal surgeons in the Birmingham Bowel Clinic team - Mr Tariq Ismail and Mr SImon Radley.
Oncologist
Oncologists are specialists in the non-surgical treatment of cancer. They deliver treatment using chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The two types of oncologists in the UK are: Clinical Oncologists who deliver both radiotherapy and chemotherapy and Medical Oncologists who only deliver chemotherapy. Since the management of different cancers has now become very complicated, most oncologists site-specialise in a limited number of cancers. This ensures that the most up to date treatment are delivered to their patients.
Pathologist
Pathologists or Histopathologists are medical specialists who specialise in tissue diagnosis. They analyse any tissue that has been taken from a patient to determine the nature of the condition. A pathologist's diagnosis will help the surgeon, the physician and the oncologist to decide on the course of the patient’s further management. In bowel pathology, they are involved in the analysis of small biopsies taken at endoscopy and of larger specimens removed by the colorectal surgeon at operation. As for the surgeon, radiologist and oncologist, most pathologists have special interests in particular fields including bowel conditions.