Mr Simon Higgs

Mr Simon Higgs is a general surgeon based at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and Nuffield Health Cheltenham Hospital. He specialises in upper GI surgery and has interests in the following areas:

• Oesphago-gastric surgery
• Biliary disease - laparoscopic gallbladder surgery, bile duct surgery
• Endoscopy - upper GI
• Oesophageal cancer
• Robotic assisted surgery
• Anti-Reflux Surgery - Primary and Redo surgery
• Hiatus Hernia Repair
• Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)
• Advanced laparoscopic surgery
• Open and laparoscopic hernia repairs

Mr Higgs earned his medical qualification from the University of Bristol in 1996. He spent a year in Perth, Australia, where he gained experience in a variety of surgical disciplines, including emergency medicine. During his surgical rotation, he developed an interest in upper GI surgery, particularly oesophageal cancer surgery and anti-reflux surgery. He then undertook two years of research examining the use of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), EUS-guided biopsy, and application of sentinel node theory in the management of oesophageal cancer. For his research presentation, he was awarded best trainee presentation prize at ISDE in Adelaide, and BJS prize runner up at AUGIS in Dublin.

His higher surgical training covered the breadth of general and upper GI surgery and included time at all the oesophagogastric and bariatric units in the South West of England where he was able to hone his skills in minimally invasive surgical techniques and advanced endoscopy. In 2010, Mr Higgs became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) of England and was appointed Consultant General, Upper GI Surgeon for the Gloucestershire Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust. He is also the MDT lead and has developed the endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)service and implemented enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) for oesophagectomy. In addition, he has just finished a 10 year period as the clinical lead for The Three Counties OesophagoGastric Centre. In July 2021 he led the start of an exciting new era in Upper GI Surgery in Gloucestershire with the installation of the Versius Robotic Surgery Platform.