Surgery

Our breast service is provided by four dedicated consultants, two associate specialists and a team of specialist nurses. 

One-stop clinics are provided on all our four sites across the Trust. The breast service starts with referral to the one stop clinic at Darlington on Tuesday mornings (Brookstein) and Bishop Auckland on Thursday mornings (Corner).

Patients usually receive the results of biopsies 48 hours after they’ve had their biopsy taken. Cancer surgery is within 31 days and excisional biopsy within two weeks.

We offer a breast reconstruction service including contralateral balancing where requested. Oncoplastic techniques are used to reduce prospect of unacceptable cosmetic outcome after excision and radiotherapy.

Clinical oncology clinics take place in local hospital and chemotherapy is administered on site. Patients travel to James Cook to receive radiotherapy.

Our Consultants

• Mr Nigel Corner
• Mr Amir Bhatti
• Mr Keith Callanan

Our Consultants provide a comprehensive colorectal service supported by specialist nurses and in collaboration with the gastroenterology service to manage more than 200 colorectal cancer cases per year. We provide specialist regional services in pelvic floor disease, treating faecal incontinence, constipation and prolapse. We also have an advanced anorectal physiology laboratory assessing approximately 200 patients per year.

Our Consultants

• Mr Iain Bain
• Miss Katherine Grant
• Mr Jeremy David Cundall
• Miss Sophie Noblett
• Miss Susan Green
• Mr Venkatesh Shanmugam

Day Surgery is best defined as the admission of patients to hospital for a planned surgical procedure, returning home on the same day. Day Surgery is provided across four Trust sites: Bishop Auckland, Darlington, Durham and Shotley Bridge.  

What are the benefits of having day surgery?

• Having day surgery means minimum disruption to your life - early discharge means you can continue your recovery in the comfort of your own home.
• Our dedicated nursing teams on each site are specially-trained to enhance your recovery.
• We follow British Association of Day Surgery guidelines to ensure your hospital journey meets quality standards.
• Having an evidenced-based recovery pathway ensures you are not discharged until it is safe to do so.
• A reduced risk of hospital cancellations; we use day surgery patient trolleys as opposed to inpatient beds.
• Lower risk of hospital-acquired infections due to an overall shorter stay in hospital.

More about our services across different sites

Our service benefits from dedicated areas with waiting areas and rooms for private consultations. At Darlington Memorial and University Hospital of North Durham, our units are integrated with beds allowing for an overnight stay if required. Patients who require an overnight stay at Shotley Bridge Hospital and Bishop Auckland Hospital may be transferred to one of our other sites. 

• University Hospital of North Durham (UHND)
  Day surgery at UHND is located on the second floor adjacent to the operating theatres. Patients entering the hospital via the Emergency Department entrance should make their way to the second floor; continuing along the main corridor - the Day Surgery Unit is on your left. Patients entering the hospital via the Main Entrance should take the stairs or lift to Level 2 and follow the corridor almost to the end - the Day Surgery Unit is past ward 13 on the right. On entering our reception area, please book in with our reception team. 
   
• Bishop Auckland Hospital (BAH)
  Day Surgery at BAH is based on ward 20 on the second floor; it shares the department with the Endoscopy Unit and is conveniently located directly opposite the operating theatres. The unit is open from 7.30am until 8.30pm, Monday to Friday. It is closed on weekends and during bank holidays. There are 2 entrances to the hospital - the main entrance can be accessed via the Outpatients Department on Cockton Hill Road, the alternative entrance is on Escomb Road adjacent to the Urgent Care Centre. Patients entering the hospital via the Main Entrance should make their way to the second floor, ward 20 is mid-way along the corridor on the right. If you enter via the Escomb Road entrance and make your way to the second floor via the central staircase or lifts you should turn right onto the main corridor and ward 20 is approximately 10 metres along on your left. On entering the ward you will find a small waiting area - patients should book in at the reception desk located immediately to your left as you enter through the ward doors. Please note that after 8pm the only access to the hospital is via the Urgent Care Unit entrance on Escomb Road.
   
• Shotley Bridge Hospital (SBH)
  Day Surgery at SBH is located on the Surgical Day Unit in the tower block. Patients entering the hospital via the outpatients entrance on the lower ground floor should follow the sign for stairs and lift and travel up two levels to Floor 1.  If you are entering the hospital using the tower block entrance, enter on the ground floor and make your way up to level 1 - the unit is located to your right; the reception desk is directly in front of you as you enter the department

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is the surgical specialty concerned with conditions of the mouth face and jaws, including salivary glands.

Referrals are received from both medical and dental practitioners for adults and children.

Outpatient and day case services are provided at Darlington Memorial Hospital by a team of visiting consultants from James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Our department of oral and maxillofacial surgery works closely with colleagues in the regional Head and Neck Cancer Multidisciplinary Team and provides an outpatient and day case service for assessment investigation diagnosis and review of head and neck cancer patients at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Outpatient services for maxillofacial are provided at Darlington Memorial Hospital with the facility for overnight stay on wards 32 and 33.

Plastic surgery is a regional sub-specialty service based at University Hospital of North Durham. It serves a population of 1.6 million people across Durham, Darlington, Gateshead, Sunderland, South Tyneside and Cumbria.

Our department has several consultants with special interests in breast reconstruction, skin cancers, hands and hypospadias. Some of the other services we offer include:

• Skin cancer and soft tissue tumours - all types of skin cancer
• Sentinel lymphnode biopsy
• Breast reconstruction - free flap and implant based reconstruction, nipple reconstruction and tattooing
• Breast aesthetic surgery (requires funding approval) - breast reduction, breast augmentation, removal of breast implants, breast uplift
• Hand surgery - congenital hands, Dupuytren's contracture, carpal tunnel syndrome, complex hand trauma reconstruction
• Trauma - all types of hand trauma, soft tissue trauma, dog bites, soft tissue infections
• Hypospadias surgery
• Penile cancer reconstruction (provided at Sunderland Royal Hospital with Urologists)
• Abdominal wall and perineal reconstruction
• General plastic surgery - lumps and bumps, scar management

Major in-patient procedures are carried out at the University Hospital of North Durham. Day case procedures are carried out at University Hospital of North Durham, Darlington Memorial Hospital, Bishop Auckland Hospital and Shotley Bridge Hospital. Outpatient clinics are based at University Hospital of North Durham, Darlington Memorial Hospital, Sunderland Royal Hospital, South Tyneside Hospital
and Chester Le Street Community Hospital.

Our Consultants

• Mr Matt Erdmann
• Mr Thomas Collin
• Mr Paul Sugden 
• Mr Jong Kim 
• Mr Paolo Longhi

Other useful support and resources

• Patient information - The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons
• Patient information - The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons
• Patient information – The British Association of Dermatologists 
• Patient information – The British Association of Dermatologists 

Our Upper Limb Unit, based in Darlington, is made up of a highly skilled multidisciplinary team, comprising consultant surgeons working alongside a team of junior doctors, extended scope physiotherapy practitioners, physiotherapists and secretarial support staff.

We provide a wide ranging service, dealing with elective elbow and shoulder joint problems. This includes management of soft tissue and sports injuries, as well as bony and degenerative problems such as arthritis. We treat acute traumatic injuries involving the upper limb and receive referrals from other Orthopaedic surgeons from within the Trust, as well as late reconstruction following trauma. 

We have clinics in Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Sedgefield and Chester-Le-Street.  Surgery usually takes place at either Darlington Memorial Hospital or Bishop Auckland Hospital.

Our unit is involved in research projects, some of which are conducted nationally.  You may be invited to participate in one of these.