Neil Smart - Surgeon and Unexpected Patient

Professor Neil Smart is a consultant colorectal surgeon at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in the UK.

He's best known for his clinical interests in rectal cancer, hernia prevention and treatment as well as abdominal wall reconstruction. He is one of a modern generation of clinical academics despite not working in what was traditionally considered to be the main academic centers in the big cities of the UK.

Since 2019, he has been the editor-in-chief of Colorectal Disease and along with his research portfolio and editorial work. It seemed that life couldn't be better. At that point, however is life was turned upside down with the sudden appearance of dysphagia while attending a surgical conference in Turkey. The diagnosis of a locally advanced esophageal cancer soon followed and before long he was in the midst of intensive neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, and finally a radical esophagectomy.

In this truly, fascinating and inspirational conversation Neil discusses many aspects of his career pathway before focusing on the unexpected events of 2024 and how he has managed to deal with the transition from being surgeon to a patient with a life-threatening disease.

Please don't forget, if you prefer watching rather than listening, this and all the other episodes of Surgeons' Lives can be found on YouTube

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@neil_j_smart on X

https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=VGI6Q0MAAAAJ&hl=en