Mr Douglas Whitelaw

Mr Whitelaw is an experienced Upper Gastrointestinal Gallbladder Surgeon, He trained at Edinburgh School of Medicine and carried out his Specialist Registrar training at The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. He has worked as a Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Consultant Surgeon since 2004 at The Luton and Dunstable University Hospital. He has a specialist interest in Upper GI Laparoscopic Surgery and Weight loss Surgery.

Gastrointestinal Surgery

He undertakes laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder for gallstones and gallbladder disease), Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for removal of gallstones from the bile duct, either before or after removal of the gallbladder. ERCP is also performed for the insertion of stents for jaundice and bile duct exploration.
He is the principal provider of the ERCP service at The Luton and Dunstable University Hospital a workload of approximately 120 therapeutic ERCPs per Annum. He also receives tertiary referrals for ERCP from neighbouring hospitals. He regularly trains Specialist Registrars in ERCP and Laparoscopic Cholecystectomies (Gallbladder removal) and is an accredited JAG ERCP trainer (2013, renewed 2019). All of his surgery is carried out Laparoscopically. All of his private and NHS surgery outcomes and patient reviews can be viewed at The Private Healthcare Information Network, 'an independent government-mandated organistion publishing performance and fees information about consultants and hospitals' at www.phin.org.uk.

Gallbladder and Gallstone Surgery

• Keyhole removal of the Gallbladder for Gallstones
• Gallbladder and Gallstone Disease investigations
• Laparoscopic Gallbladder removal (Cholecystectomy)
• Bile duct disease
• Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for removal of gallstones from the bile duct either before or after gallbladder removal for gallstones that have travelled down from the gallbladder into the bile duct and have lodged there causing biliary colic.
• ERCP for insertion of stents for jaundice and obstruction of the bile duct
  Bile duct exploration
• Management of patients with Pancreatic Disease
• Cholecystectomy for individuals with a high BMI or who have had previous Bariatric Surgery
• Based on the Private Healthcare Information Network data he carried out 65 NHS Laparoscopic Gallbladder removals and 25 Private Gallbladder removals in the year to date.
  
  Additionally, he provides the specialist pancreato-biliary surgical service to North Herts and South Bedfordshire. He chairs the Luton side of weekly video linked supra network multi-disciplinary meeting with the Royal Free and University College Hospitals and looks after patients with pancreatic and biliary disease. He has served as Clinical Director and is currently the Gastrointestinal Lead for Robotic Surgery including Laparoscopic Gallbladder removals and Weight loss Surgery (Gastric Bypass and Sleeve gastrectomy.
  
  Mr Whitelaw has been working as a Weight loss Surgeon since 2005, He and Mr Jain initially set up the Weight loss surgical unit which is now the largest in the UK. He carries out Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y-bypass (Gastric Bypass) and Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomys. He inserts gastric bands and gastric balloons, undertakes gastric revision surgery as well as making gastric band adjustments. In 2023 The Hospital acquired a da Vinci Xi Robot. Mr Whitelaw is the Gastrointestinal lead after extensive training in Laparoscopic Robotic Gastrointestinal and Weight loss Surgery through Intuitive worldwide training programme. www.intuitive.com
  
  Weight loss Surgery
• Roux-en-Y-bypass (Gastric Bypass)
• Gastric Sleeve
• Gastric Revision Surgery
• Insertion of Gastric Band
• Insertion of Gastric Balloon
• Gastric Band adjustments