About

Praminthra Chitsabesan

Praminthra Chitsabesan

  • Consultant Laparoscopic Colorectal and General surgeon
  • Honorary Senior Lecturer
  • Humber, Coast and Vale Cancer Alliance Colorectal Lead
  • NHS Right Care General Surgery Advisor for GI pack
  • Core trainee Facilitator, Yorkshire and Humberside Deanery
  • Director for Yorkshire Colorectal and Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Cadaver Courses
  • MBBS MA(Oxon) PhD Cert.Med.Ed FRCS

What I do

I offer a general surgical and coloproctology service. My particular area of expertise is in bowel problems. My main areas of interest are advanced laparoscopic (keyhole) techniques in the treatment of colonic and rectal (bowel) cancer, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Diverticula disease.

I am a specialist in the management of pelvic floor disorders such as incontinence and prolapse, having gained experience in three established pelvic floor units.  I am a member of the pelvic floor MDT at York performing laparoscopic procedures for rectal prolapse, rectoceles and intussusception and a member of one of the few nationally accredited mesh salvage centres.  I also specialise in disease of the anus and anal canal including haemorrhoids (piles), fissures and fistula. I work closely with the urology and gynaecology team on both sites, allowing quick and easy referral between ourselves.

I specialise in the area of abdominal and groin hernias, offering a comprehensive laparoscopic and open approach to the management of these hernias including Complex Abdominal Wall Reconstruction and the treatment of hernias within a Divarification of the Recti (the bulge women often have after pregnancy in the upper abdomen) using minimally invasive techniques.

I have taught clinical courses for these areas nationally and internationally.

Other Interests

  • Abdominal Pain
  • Abdominal Problems
  • Abdominal Swelling
  • Altered Bowel Habits
  • Anal Abscess
  • Anal Fissure
  • Anal Tear
  • Anterior Resection
  • Anus and Rectum
  • Bowel (Faecal Incontinence
  • Bowel Cancer
  • Bowel Disease
  • Bowel Obstruction
  • Coeliac Disease
  • Colon Cancer
  • Colonoscopy
  • Colorectal Cancer
  • Colorectal Surgery
  • Constipation
  • Crohn’s Disease
  • Diagnostic Endoscopy/Gastroscopy
  • Diarrhoea
  • Diverticulitis
  • Epigastric Pain
  • Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
  • Gastrointestinal Tract
  • Haemorrhoidectomy
  • Haemorrhoids
  • Hernias-inguinal, femoral, groin, umbilical, epigastric, ventral and incisional
  • Incontinence
  • Indigestion (Dyspepsia)
  • Polypectomy
  • Prolapse Surgery (Delmorme’s Altmeiers and Laparoscopic Ventral Mesh Rectopexy) 
  • Rectal Bleeding
  • Rectal Prolapse
  • Stomach Ulcer
  • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 

Training

I performed my undergraduate studies at Oxford University and then Newcastle University and completed my basic and higher surgical training in the North East Deanery. I completed my training as a Laparoscopic and Advanced Malignancy Colorectal Fellow at the world-renowned specialist centre for Colorectal Cancer and Pseudomyxoma peritonei, at Basingstoke Hospital, North Hampshire.

I have been trained in advanced laparoscopic colorectal procedures by two national preceptors, and in advanced abdominal malignancy and low rectal cancers at an international referral centre. I perform keyhole operations transanally to remove rectal polyps and cancers, and I am a member of one of the five teams chosen nationally to undergo training in new minimally invasive cancer technique.

PhD and Continuing Post-Doctoral Work

My premier research accolade is my doctorate, Exploring ward-based clinical teaching behaviour and characteristics, PhD thesis 2009. I have successfully completed this innovative PhD programme revolving around clinical teaching/training. I have become proficient in conducting high quality qualitative research, using several unique methodologies that are used in both quantitative and qualitative research. 

I am Principal Investigator in several NHIR portfolio research projects and am developing research links with both York and Hull Universities. I have an interest in optimising surgery and patient risk factors and chaired the Yorkshire Bowel Cancer Improvement Programme- Peri-Operative Care, Risk Stratification and Optimisation of Patients for Major Surgery, Wakefield, November 2017 and the UK Anaesthesia & Surgery Collaborative- Optimising neuromuscular block management to improve surgical outcomes- York, April 2018.

I place a high priority on training and led on several ‘training the trainers’ courses, and i have been faculty and invited presenter on a variety of specialised surgical, clinical and non-technical skills courses, such as Pelvic Floor Masterclasses, Complex Abdominal Wall Reconstruction and Laparoscopic colorectal and inguinal hernia courses both nationally and internationally.  I am a current director for the colorectal and hernia cadaveric CADSIM courses in the Yorkshire Deanery and a Core Trainee Facilitator.

Myself and my team have been nominated for the 2019 Royal College of Surgeons Innovation in Surgical Education awards.

 

Outside Of Work

I live in York with my family and dog. I enjoy travelling and cooking a variety of styles of food.  I am an avid photographer, and was the National winner of the Fuji & Costco 2008 Photographic Competition and 3rd place in the 2009 competition, runner-up in the Oxford alumni calendar competition 2009, and received an A grade in GCSE photography while training as a registrar. I still play sport but  sensibly stopped playing rugby and play touch rugby, tennis and ski instead.

Contact Me For An Appointment