Tim O'Brien

Consultant urological surgeon

Biography

Tim O'Brien has been a consultant urological surgeon at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust since 1999.

He led the team that developed the urology centre at Guy's Hospital. This award-winning project has transformed the way urology patients are assessed and treated at Guy's and St Thomas'. The development of the centre has led to an interest in quality improvement in urology.

He performs complex kidney cancer surgery, in particular the removal of very large life-threatening kidney cancers which have invaded the inferior vena cava or the heart. He has performed over 800 complex nephrectomies. He also performed over 350 partial nephrectomies and has particular expertise in the treatment of kidney cancer in solitary kidneys. He has taught on these techniques nationally and internationally.

He also performs retroperitoneal lymph node dissections (RPLND) for men with residual testicular cancer after intensive chemotherapy.

He runs the retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) service at Guy's and St Thomas'.

He has developed and improved techniques for the treatment of bladder cancer while preserving bladder function.

From 2010 to 2014, Tim was chairman of the section of oncology of the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS). In this role he was the lead author on publications examining the quality of partial nephrectomy and RPLND across the UK.

In 2013 he was elected to the Scientific Congress Office of the European Association of Urology.

In 2018, after a national vote he was elected vice president of BAUS and in 2020 became president of BAUS.

Education and training

  • Urology Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgons
  • Doctorate of medicine (DM) in bladder cancer, University of Oxford
  • Surgery training, Oxford, Leicester, and London
  • Medicine and surgery (BM BCh) University of Oxford, 1986
  • BA in medical sciences, University of Cambridge, 1983

Awards

  • Karl-Storz gold cystoscope, British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS), 2009
  • President-elect, BAUS, 2018
  • Award for bladder cancer research, the European Association of Urology

Last updated: July 2023

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