Personal Profile
Personal Profile
I was trained in Baghdad and graduated from Almustansyriah medical school, Baghdad, Iraq in 1983. I had postgraduate training in Iraq for seven years. I started my surgical training in the United Kingdom in 1990 and granted the fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in addition to certificate of Surgical training completion and Master of Surgery from University of London. I was appointed as a consultant Surgeon in Watford General Hospital in 2002.
Since then I was involved in active training of surgical trainees and undergraduate medical students of both the imperial and university college medical schools. I am also an examiner of final medical exams of the imperial college school of medicine.
I was also involved in the professional and social activities of Iraq Medical Association-UK as an elected member of the managing committee between 2004-2010. I was also elected as a president in 2011.
Since 2003 I contributed in many workshops towards development of health care in Iraq with a team of medics from the U.K. We focused on cancer multi professional team management. I was appointed as an external advisor to Iraq cancer board, which is chaired by the minister of health. In addition to that I was involved in many Iraq charity and fund-raising groups to support health, education and welfare of poor and displaced Iraqis.
Iraq welfare association is based in London since 1991. It aims to develop the health and social status of Iraqi community in the U.K. For fourteen years I was actively involved in its activities as an elected member of trustees and for two years as a president of the association.
The Rafaelo Procedure (Haemorrhoids)
After over thirty years of General Surgery and twenty years of Colorectal Surgery experience, I am convinced that radiofrequency ablation (RAFAELO) is an appropriate, safe and effective treatment option for 2nd and 3rd degree haemorrhoids, which can be done under local anaesthesia. This is based on my experience of more than 100 cases within the last four years and after careful audit and patient satisfaction survey, with over six months follow up. I found 90% of my patients confirmed high satisfaction with minimal postoperative pain and early return to work in comparison to traditional Surgical excision. Only 4% of my patients required further procedure, half of whom were planned and staged treatment. Therefore, I currently offer RAFAELO as a first-line option to majority of my patients suffering from haemorrhoids because it is a safe, easy technique and effective short procedure with high success rate.
Rafaelo procedure is a new treatment suitable for patients with grade 1-3 haemorrhoids. The procedure is minimally invasive and is achieved using local anaesthetic. Patients who undergo the procedure will be treated as a day case and may return to regular life immediately following treatment. The procedure derives its name from its application: the radio Frequency treatment of haemorrhoids under Local anaesthetic.
What Rafaelo Involves
Unlike other treatments for haemorrhoids, the Rafaelo procedure is minimally invasive and is achieved using local anaesthetic in the majority of cases. Patients who undergo the procedure will be treated as a day case and may return to regular life immediately following treatment.
- If required, you will be given a mild sedative to help you relax
- A local anaesthetic is applied to the haemorrhoidal area
- The Device, emitting a safe and relatively painless radio frequency energy is then used to stem its blood supply and cause the haemorrhoid to contract
- Your symptoms should improve instantly
Most procedures take just a few minutes to complete and you will be free to leave the same day to get on with enjoying a haemorrhoid free life.
Are you sitting comfortably?
Haemorrhoids (or piles as they are commonly known) are generally an unspoken curse from which many of us suffer, but are too embarrassed to discuss with our loved ones, let alone our GP. They are enlarged vascular ‘cushions’ just inside or around the bottom (anus and lower rectum), thought to be caused by a variety of factors but commonly constipation, diarrhoea or excessive straining.
They're very common; it's been estimated that up to 50% of the population may suffer from symptomatic haemorrhoids at some point in their lives (source: Haemorrhoids: diagnosis and management. Am Surg 75 (8): 635–42). After 3 years of development and over 2,000 patients successfully treated across Europe with outstanding results, we’re able to offer the Rafaelo Procedure. Using the safe and established technology of radio frequency ablation, the Rafaelo procedure can be performed on a walk-in, walk-out basis.
Benefits
You won't need a general anaesthetic, and can return to your normal daily activities immediately after treatment, rather than needing three weeks to recover. You’ll be virtually pain free after the procedure and your symptoms should improve almost immediately. If you have haemorrhoids which are between grades 1, 2 or 3, Rafaelo could be the treatment for you. Some grade 4 haemorrhoids may be reduced, but it's unlikely that they will not reach a complete resolution, which often will require surgery.
