‘He made me feel safe’: Beloved Leeds surgeon retires after saving thousands of lives
For thousands of families across Leeds and beyond, Professor Giles Toogood’s steady hands have meant a second chance at life.
Over the last four decades he has carried out thousands of operations and hundreds of liver transplants at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
And now he has performed his final surgery after chalking up more than 8,000 gall bladder operations and over 2,000 liver resections.
He said: “It’s been a big part of my life, and it will be a strange feeling, stopping operating after all this time, but it happens to us all.
“I will still be carrying on at Leeds, doing research trials and some clinics but I’m hanging up my boots as far as operating is concerned. I’ll still be around, but it will be nice to spend a bit of time doing other things.”
“I’ve worked with some absolutely brilliant teams here at Jimmy’s and I will miss it.
“I have no regrets, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it all, there have been some wonderful times.”
Former patient, Dr Juliet Stone, says Prof Toogood’s assessment and surgery saved her life.
“I attended hospital in excruciating pain, and was found to have large gallstones stuck in my bile duct, and developed pancreatitis,” she said.
“Prof Toogood operated on me to remove my gallbladder once my stuck stones were cleared. It wasn’t a straightforward operation and I was so grateful for his skill and expertise to be able to perform the operation successfully and without complications.
“I was also admitted to hospital due to a liver abscess, which caused sepsis and I was cared for by Professor Toogood and his team. I have since made a full recovery.
“I am so grateful for Professor Toogood’s care – not only did he save my life but his skill and knowledge meant that I have made a complete recovery.
“When you’re unwell in hospital, you feel very scared and vulnerable and Professor Toogood made me feel safe. He is a world expert at what he does and I am so thankful for his amazing care.”
Another former patient, Richard Maltby, was treated by Prof Toogood almost 24 years ago following the devastating news of being diagnosed with bowel cancer with liver metastasis.
“He was part of a small medical team caring for me using a combination of surgery and chemotherapy to produce a successful outcome for my advanced cancer,” said Richard.