Mr James Ramus

James Ramus is a Consultant General, Upper Gastrointestinal (UGI), and Bariatric Surgeon with extensive experience in minimally invasive procedures. He is based at Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Trust in Reading, where he has held a substantive consultant position since 2012. Mr Ramus played a central role in developing the hospital’s Bariatric Surgical Unit (Berkshire Weight Loss) and remains a key member of the UGI surgical team.

He specialises in laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery for gallbladder conditions, gastro-oesophageal reflux, abdominal wall hernias, and complex weight loss procedures. His expertise includes gastric banding, gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and endoscopic gastric balloon placement. In addition to his bariatric work, he performs a range of upper GI surgeries including laparoscopic cholecystectomy, Nissen’s fundoplication, inguinal and incisional hernia repairs, and splenectomy. Mr Ramus is also JAG-certified in diagnostic and therapeutic upper GI endoscopy.

Mr Ramus sees private patients through Thames Valley General Surgery (TVGS), a consortium operating at Circle Reading Hospital, Spire Dunedin Hospital, Berkshire Independent Hospital, and the London Digestive Centre. His private bariatric service, Optimise Weightloss, delivers a full multidisciplinary approach, including primary and revisional operations.

He qualified from St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College London, in 1997 and completed his basic surgical training in London before undertaking research into Barrett’s oesophagus at the Royal Free Hospital. He was awarded an MD from the University of London in 2004. His higher surgical training was completed in the Oxford region, culminating in a Certificate of Completion of Training in 2010. He subsequently undertook a post-CCT fellowship in bariatric and advanced laparoscopic surgery at a level 1 unit in Taunton, Somerset, gaining experience in over 100 bariatric operations including complex revisional procedures.

Mr Ramus has authored over 20 peer-reviewed academic publications and remains actively engaged in research, particularly in the field of bariatric surgery. He chairs the Robotic Surgery Steering Committee at Royal Berkshire Hospital and continues to contribute to national academic and clinical developments in his specialty.

He is a member of the General Medical Council, the British Medical Association, the Association of Upper GI Surgeons (AUGIS), the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society (BOMSS), and the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO).