Dr Aditaya Kumar

Mr Aditaya Kumar is a Consultant Neurosurgeon at Derriford Hospital, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. His practice has a particular focus on lateral skull base surgery, a highly specialised area of neurosurgery involving complex conditions around the base of the brain and the structures responsible for hearing and balance.

He leads the lateral skull base service for Devon and Cornwall and is the neurosurgical lead for the regional Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) service. His clinical work includes the management of vestibular schwannomas, meningiomas and other complex skull base tumours. He also provides care for patients with degenerative spinal conditions.

Mr Kumar completed his medical education through the University of Cambridge and London before pursuing neurosurgical training in the UK. He worked in Yorkshire and subsequently completed his neurosurgical training in Glasgow in 2022.

He then undertook a two-year fellowship in anterior and lateral skull base surgery in Glasgow, accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons of England. This advanced training further developed his expertise in the assessment and surgical management of complex skull base conditions.

Beyond his surgical responsibilities, Mr Kumar has a strong interest in how surgeons learn, develop and work within clinical teams. He supervises neurosurgical trainees and resident doctors, supporting both their technical development and the professional skills required in complex surgical practice.

He also writes on surgical education, leadership, communication and resilience. His professional writing has attracted an audience of more than 20,000 across social media, and he has been invited to speak at national conferences in the UK and India, including events in neurosurgery, orthopaedics and cardiology.

Skull base conditions can involve delicate structures responsible for hearing, balance and neurological function. Treatment planning therefore requires careful consideration of the nature and location of the condition, its potential effects and the available management options. Mr Kumar's specialist practice includes hearing preservation as an important consideration in the management of vestibular schwannomas. His involvement in regional skull base and NF2 services also places his work within a multidisciplinary setting for patients whose conditions may require coordinated specialist input.