Practising minimally invasive surgery at Practice Plus Group: A consultant’s perspective
Consultant surgeon Tamara Gall shares her experience of delivering minimally invasive elective surgery at Practice Plus Group.
Tamara Gall is a consultant general surgeon at Practice Plus Group Hospital, St Mary’s Portsmouth. Having joined Practice Plus Group in October last year after many years working in NHS hospitals, Tamara shared her experience on delivering minimally invasive surgery, patient pathways, and what it’s like working in an efficient and patient-centred, private hospital environment.
Can you tell us about your role?
“I am a consultant surgeon at Practice Plus Group Hospital in Portsmouth. We perform day-case general surgery procedures, including laparoscopic hernia repairs and laparoscopic cholecystectomies (gallbladder removal). We are a UK high-volume minimally invasive hernia repair centre ensuring excellent surgical outcomes with a low complication rate.”
What is it about laparoscopic surgery that you enjoy?
“I am a general and hepatobiliary surgeon, and always enjoyed abdominal surgery throughout my career. My passion for surgery continued as more and more operations were able to be carried out with minimally invasive techniques – both laparoscopic and robotic. The continuously improving technology, including the camera, light source and instruments, means we now have unrivalled views of the operative field and can carry out meticulous dissection of tissues in a safe and controlled way.
“All of this can be done through small incisions, often with better views of the anatomy than with large incisions in traditional ‘open’ surgery. This allows patients to recover more quickly and get back to enjoying what they love sooner. It is an area that continues to develop which is great for both personal growth as a surgeon and expanding how we can support patients”.
How does working at Practice Plus Group compare with your previous experience?
“Practice Plus Group is a hospital with a very friendly and welcoming environment. It is the first place I have worked at that is really efficient in terms of patient care and hospital processes.
Everything is very streamlined, and patients are at the heart of what we do. It’s nice to work in a hospital where everything works well and where we can treat patients as I would wish my family to be treated”.
What stands out about the way surgery is delivered at Practice Plus Group in Portsmouth?
“We have very short waiting lists, and are specialists in laparoscopic repairs, which isn’t always the case.
The surgeons working here are upper gastro-intestinal (GI) surgeons with a high level of expertise in minimally invasive surgery, and that shapes how we deliver the service in Portsmouth”.
What made you choose to become a surgeon?
“I wanted to become a surgeon from a young age. I found it fascinating to be able to see inside the human body and understand how it works. It’s a fulfilling career where you’re constantly learning and developing whilst ensuring you can give great and compassionate care to patients who need it.”
If you are a consultant surgeon interested in working in an environment designed to support focused and high-quality elective care, you can explore current opportunities.
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