Tim Pencavel

About me

I am a consultant surgeon specialising in surgery of the liver, pancreas, bile duct and gall bladder (hepato-pancreatico-biliary or HPB), as well as general surgery including hernias, lipomas and skin lumps.

After qualifying from the Royal Free in 2003 I trained extensively in General Surgery and specialised in HPB surgery during my senior registrar years, with clinical training at the Royal Marsden, Hammersmith and Royal Surrey hospitals. I also took some time during my training to complete my PhD in Cancer Biology at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, one of the highest-rated research institutions in the UK. After achieving specialist registration, I undertook a fellowship in surgical oncology at the Royal Marsden within the Sarcoma, Melanoma and Rare Tumours unit.

As a consultant I have developed a minimally invasive surgical practice. Approximately 90% of procedures I undertake are minimally invasive, ranging from gallstone removal to removal of all or part of the pancreas. I use a variety of techniques, including percutaneous transhepatic laser lithotripsy, traditional keyhole surgery and robotic surgery using the Da Vinci surgical platform. Since I also have a wide experience in open surgery I am able to tailor the surgical approach to each patient and condition.

Robotic surgery is a new frontier in HPB and is offered by fewer than 40 consultants in the UK currently. I have been involved in surgical robotics since the early days of UK practice, assisting in robotic operations in 2017 and helping to write a paper on early experiences which was published in 2021. At the Royal Surrey I regularly perform robotic surgery, recently undertaking my 200^th robotic procedure, and have become a proctor for surgeons learning robotics across the UK and Europe. I regularly present surgical outcomes and technical points at national and international conferences.

I am currently the joint Chief of Service for the Division of Surgery at the Royal Surrey, having been Clinical Director of the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery prior to this.