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Founded in 1856, St John & St Elizabeth Hospital is one of the UK’s largest independent charitable hospitals. Our commitment to our patients is in the quality of our care, the range of our services and the quality of our consultants and staff.
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Pioneering Laser Tonsillectomy with Mr Mike Dilkes
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Expert Consultant General Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon Mr Mikes Dilkes, to find out about Laser Tonsillectomy and how the latest innovative developments can help patients resume back to their normal lifestyle in record time.
Tell us a bit about yourself and where you currently practice
I qualified in 1985 after training at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington and since worked in various Hospitals within ENT across London and Bristol before being appointed to St Bart’s Hospital in 1996 where I resided until last year. Outside of my role I enjoy sports, in particular sailing and football – I’m a big Chelsea Fan and take great pleasure seeing them play at Stamford Bridge. I currently practice at The London ENT Unit here at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth along with Spire Riding Hospital, HealthHub and Holly House Hospital.
Following your love of sports, you have worked closely with high profile sporting organisations as an ENT consultant, how was this?
I’ve been fortunate enough to work for the England Cricket team, the British Association and the Amature Boxing Association to name a few. It’s fantastic to be able to treat our finest athletes and see them return to their profession stronger and fitter than before.
In what circumstances is Laser Surgery performed?
Laser surgery is performed to treat a wide range of conditions, this includes throat cancer, tonsils and facial moles. Over the course of my career I have have performed over 4,000 laser procedures for a wide variety of conditions – with laser surgery being one of my specialties.
What are the benefits of a patient coming to The London ENT Unit for Tonsillectomy Surgery?
Tonsillectomy surgery performed by traditional means, is one of the most painful operations in surgery and can be associated with life threatening bleeding. Recent developments in laser technology, using state-of-the-art facilities mean that the tonsils can now be removed whilst preserving their capsule. This procedure I have pioneered is called intracapsular laser vaporisation tonsillectomy and takes around 20 minutes to perform and is completed using a operating mircorscope and mircomanioputaor.
What is the general recovery time for a patient who has had tonsillectomy surgery here at The London ENT Unit?
The general recovery time for a patient is around seven days for Tonsillectomy surgery with the patient being discharged after 4 hours. If a patient receives painkillers, it’s possible for them to resume back to normal duties after 48 hours – which sees them being able to eat relatively normally throughout the healing process. Patients will return for a follow up after four weeks.
Are there any complications associated with Intracapsular Laser Vaporisation Tonsillectomy?
Significant bleeding is extremely rare with only 0.2% of patients recorded after receiving surgery. My re-admission rate with complications is 0% here at The London ENT Unit.
Book an appointment at The London ENT Unit
We have a team of seven world- leading Ear, Nose and Throat surgeons including Mr Mikes Dilkes that make up The London ENT Unit, offering flexible appointment times to fit around your schedule. To book an appointment you can call us on 020 7078 3841 or email [email protected]
