Trust surgeon receives award for outstanding contribution to laryngology
A world renowned ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgeon from Charing Cross Hospital has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to laryngology – receiving the Isshiki Award from the British Laryngological Association, and becoming only the fifth recipient worldwide.
Dr Guri Sandhu has been a surgeon at Charing Cross hospital for 13 years, and is universally admired by patients and peers alike for his exemplary surgical skills and levels of patient care. The Isshiki Award presented to Dr Sandhu recognises outstanding contributions to laryngology (the branch of medicine that deals with the larynx and its diseases.)
Dr Sandhu specialises in treating patients suffering from conditions such as airway stenosis (a narrowing that obstructs the passage of air to the lungs), and other complex ENT conditions, and has received recognition for his work in the press, particularly with reference to a number of high profiles cases.
Dr Sandhu has transformed the lives of many patients who, after being operated on by him, are able to breathe unaided by breathing tubes (tracheostomies). Many of them have depended on them to survive for the majority of their lives, due to suffering from complex airway conditions.
Along with completing hundreds of surgeries a year and pioneering innovative surgical techniques, Mr Sandhu has led the establishment of the National Centre for Airway Reconstruction at Charing Cross Hospital, where he currently leads a dedicated team including specialist nurses, speech and language therapists and dietetic support.
ENT patients regularly come from all over the UK and abroad to be treated by Mr Sandhu and his team.
Dr Justin Roe, Clinical lead speech and language therapist for the airway service and a member of Guri’s team says, it’s no surprise that he has been recognised for his achievements.
“Our team treat patients who have had specialist airway surgery, and often they need a lot of support after their operation, and can be in hospital for up to a few weeks due the complex nature of their surgery. As they recover, patients may have a range of difficulties including communication, nutrition and swallowing problems and we offer a comprehensive service to manage those difficulties.”
“Although the recovery period can be extensive and quite arduous, our patients have excellent outcomes and their surgeries are often completely life changing.”
Of Guri, Justin adds:
“The patients get to know him well as they may need several procedures and ongoing follow up. The feedback we get from patients is that they have complete trust in Guri and they know that he never gives up on them. Guri really embraces multidisciplinary working to get the best possible outcome for his patients.
“I think this award is a reflection of the high esteem Guri is held in – not only by his patients and colleagues, but also by his surgical colleagues around the world.”
Speaking on receiving the award, Guri said:
“It is a great honour to receive this award and I still have contributions to make to the field in the future. Charing Cross Hospital has given me support over the years to change people’s lives, for which I am immensely grateful.”
