I was surprised how everyone I asked from ticket collectors to taxi drivers spoke about The Christie with a sense of pride and gratitude - Omer Aziz

Omer Aziz - consultant colorectal and laparoscopic surgeon at The Christie

Omer Aziz

Just over a year ago, I made the decision to leave London, a city where I had lived for 26 years, and move to Manchester with my family. This came about because of the opportunity to join the Colorectal and Peritoneal Oncology Centre at The Christie as a consultant colorectal surgeon. 

It was the kind of career move you can't plan for, largely because there isn't a job like this anywhere else in the country, and perhaps only a handful of jobs like it in the world.

I remember my first trip here from London, where I was surprised how everyone I asked from ticket collectors to taxi drivers spoke about The Christie with a sense of pride and gratitude. It was endearing to see how this institution has touched so many lives. 

The next thing that would come up in my conversations about Manchester was football, with people passionate about either the 'red' of United or 'blue' of City. Being a Liverpool fan meant I had to try to avoid getting drawn into that discussion!

At The Christie I have joined a team offering highly specialised cancer surgery, performing procedures such as Cytoreductive Surgery (CRS) with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) and advanced keyhole operations for cancer. CRS involves removing all visible tumours and is most commonly performed in cases of Pseudomyxoma Peritoneii (PMP), appendix cancers or colorectal cancers that have spread to the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum).  Once the tumours are removed, HIPEC is then inserted into the abdomen and circulated for about 90 minutes. This is a highly concentrated, heated chemotherapy treatment that unlike systemic chemotherapy (which circulates throughout the body), delivers chemotherapy directly to cancer cells in the abdomen. The solution is then drained from the abdomen and the incision is closed. The Christie is one of only two UK hospitals commissioned to do this type of surgery.

We work closely with plastic surgeons, urologists, and gynaecologists all specialising in cancer, which means we can perform complex cancer surgery involving multiple organs routinely. Through our radiology colleagues we have access to scanning resources and interventions that mean we can offer high quality opinions to our patients and second opinions to clinicians seeking our expertise.

But it is the simple attention to detail, teamwork, and treating patients with compassion that I think makes this the best hospital for cancer treatment that I have worked in. Visiting times are flexible on wards such as the critical care unit, which is so important to patients and their families. Once referred to The Christie colorectal and peritoneal service, patients are assigned a clinical nurse specialist and given a contact number to call if they have any questions and run into any problems. These nurses are experienced and offer reassurance as well as picking up any warning signs of potential problems. Today, a patient attended my clinic and told me that the thing she appreciated the most throughout her care here, was that her husband was called right after her operation was completed, to let him know she was ok. I have rarely seen this happen in other hospitals, yet it has been a standard practice amongst colorectal surgeons here.  While there are many ways we can improve, we have a strong platform on which to build - as long as our patients remain at the centre of what we do.