Mr Adam Ajis

About Mr Adam Ajis

Mr Adam Ajis is a Consultant Foot and Ankle Surgeon whose private practice is devoted exclusively to foot and ankle surgery. He is an NHS Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust and has been a consultant since 2013.

He consults and operates privately at Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital and Goring Hall Hospital, Worthing. Private surgery may also be available at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester.

Mr Ajis sees patients seeking a specialist surgical opinion for painful, arthritic, deformed or injured feet and ankles. His principal areas of expertise are patient-specific total ankle replacement, minimally invasive keyhole bunion surgery, big toe arthritis, forefoot reconstruction, ankle instability, foot and ankle trauma, and revision surgery.

Patients travel from across West Sussex, East Sussex, Surrey and the wider South East to seek his opinion. Second opinions are welcomed, particularly where patients have been told that an ankle replacement, motion-preserving procedure or minimally invasive correction is not available or appropriate.

Ankle replacement and ankle arthritis

Mr Ajis has extensive experience in the treatment of severe ankle arthritis and has a particular interest in patient-specific total ankle replacement.

A CT scan is used to create a three-dimensional model of the patient’s ankle and lower limb. Implant size, rotation and alignment can then be planned before surgery, and patient-specific instruments are manufactured to match that individual patient’s anatomy.

For suitable patients, ankle replacement can relieve pain while preserving ankle movement. Mr Ajis also performs ankle fusion and provides clear, individualised advice for patients who are uncertain whether ankle replacement or ankle fusion is the better option for them.

His practice includes post-traumatic ankle arthritis, arthritic ankles with deformity, revision ankle replacement, previous ankle fractures and problems following earlier ankle surgery or fusion.

Minimally invasive bunion and forefoot surgery

Minimally invasive, percutaneous or “keyhole” bunion correction has been a core, high-volume part of Mr Ajis’s surgical practice since 2013.

The correction is performed through small portals using specialised surgical instruments under continuous X-ray guidance. The corrected bones are secured using low-profile fixation. This approach can reduce soft-tissue disruption and scarring, where it is appropriate for the individual patient. Most patients can walk on the day of surgery in a protective postoperative shoe.

Mr Ajis also performs revision bunion surgery and correction of hammer toes, claw toes, mallet toes, crossover toes, bunionettes, plantar plate injuries, metatarsalgia and other painful forefoot deformities. Where appropriate, several related problems can be corrected during the same operation as a comprehensive forefoot reconstruction.

Big toe arthritis

Mr Ajis treats big toe arthritis, also known as hallux rigidus, at all stages of the condition.

Treatment may include a cheilectomy or another joint-preserving procedure for suitable earlier arthritis. For advanced arthritis, first metatarsophalangeal joint fusion can provide dependable pain relief.

The recommended procedure depends on the severity of the arthritis, the remaining movement in the joint, the patient’s activity level, footwear preferences and expectations from surgery.

Foot and ankle trauma and reconstruction

Alongside his elective surgical practice, Mr Ajis remains actively involved in NHS trauma care. He treats acute foot and ankle fractures, Lisfranc injuries, Achilles tendon ruptures, ligament injuries and complications following previous trauma.

His wider surgical practice includes ankle arthroscopy, ankle ligament reconstruction, Achilles tendon surgery, tendon reconstruction, flatfoot and cavus foot correction, midfoot and hindfoot arthritis, fusion surgery, post-traumatic reconstruction and revision foot and ankle surgery.

Training and professional experience

Mr Ajis completed higher specialist training in Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery in Cheshire and Merseyside before undertaking an international fellowship at the Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction in Baltimore, USA.

He subsequently completed a second specialist foot and ankle fellowship in the UK, providing advanced training in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery, minimally invasive techniques and ankle replacement.

Mr Ajis holds BMedSc (Hons), MBChB, MRCSEd and FRCS (Tr & Orth). He is a member of the British Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society and the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society.

Teaching and research

Mr Ajis is an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Brighton and Sussex Medical School and teaches on regional, national and international foot and ankle courses.

He has published in leading specialist journals, including Foot & Ankle International, The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery and Foot and Ankle Clinics. He has also contributed specialist expertise to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Approach to patient care

Every patient receives a detailed assessment, a clear explanation of the diagnosis and an honest discussion of the available surgical and non-surgical options.

Surgery is recommended only when it is likely to provide a worthwhile long-term benefit. The treatment plan takes account of each patient’s mobility, work, sport, footwear, lifestyle and recovery goals.

Face-to-face, telephone and video consultations are available. Self-funding patients do not require a GP referral.