Mike Lavelle, M.A., FRCS. Trained at Trinity College, Oxford and Guy's Hospital Medical School. Early surgical training was with Professor Bill Heald in Basingstoke, where he was introduced to the techniques of sphincter-saving rectal surgery. He was a senior registrar at Guy's Hospital under Professor Ian McColl, and has been a consultant surgeon in Sussex since 1984, first at Cuckfield Hospital, and then at The Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath. He resigned from the National Health Service in May 2005, and now works solely in the private sector at the Nuffield Hospital, Haywards Heath, Sussex and Gatwick Park Hospital, Horley, Surrey.

He was the winner of The Cutler's Prize in 1998 for his invention of an illuminated pelvic dissector. Initially, he was a general surgeon, but with the advent of specialisation in the UK, he has concentrated on colorectal surgery, laparoscopic gallbladder surgery and hernia surgery.

Colorectal Surgery

Having trained under Professor Heald in Basingstoke, he has continued his association with that establishment, and attends regular meetings with the Basingstoke surgeons. He is highly experienced in the surgical treatment of cancer of the colon and rectum, and has a pelvic recurrence rate after surgery for rectal cancer of around 5%. He also treats diverticular disease, haemorrhoids (piles), anal fistula and anal fissure. He now has several years experience in treating haemorrhoids with the relatively new stapling procedure. (further info)

Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery

He was one of the first surgeons in the UK to perform the operation of removal of the gallbladder using keyhole surgery, and has a very low complication rate for the operation, with a bile-duct injury rate of less than 0.1%, and a similar re-operation rate for haemorrhage.

Hernia Surgery

Having been a busy general surgeon in the NHS for 21 years, he has a vast experience in hernia surgery, including inguinal, femoral and incisional hernias. He has been performing tension-free inguinal hernia repairs as a routine for the past 10 years or so, and recently has been using the newer lightweight mesh to reduce the incidence of chronic post-repair pain and discomfort. His recurrence rate and wound infection rate are both well below 1%