The Auditory Implant Service has four locality teams
West, Central, East and North.
Our surgeons in each team are:
West – Tim Mitchell and Rohan Vithlani (Southampton General Hospital and Wessex Nuffield)
Central – Will Hellier (Southampton General Hospital and Wessex Nuffield) and Robert Chessman (Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth)
East – Marcel Geyer (Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth)
North – Carol Xie (Basingstoke and North Hants Hospital and Wessex Nuffield)
Our surgeons and what they do
USAIS has 6 Consultant Surgeons who specialise in the ears, nose and throat (ENT). They work with the other members of the USAIS team to help you decide whether to have surgery and which implant is right for you.
You will meet one of the surgeons early in your assessment. They will ask about your hearing and medical history. They will explain the operation and its risks. You can ask also any questions that you might have. They will also arrange any scans you need as part of your assessment.
You will meet a surgeon again shortly before your operation. If the surgeon doing your operation is not available for this appointment, you may see a different surgeon.
You will also have an appointment at the hospital where your operation will take place. The anaesthetist, the doctor who looks after you while you are asleep during surgery, will check that it is safe for you to have the operation.
Your operation will take place at one of these hospitals: Southampton General Hospital, Queen Alexandra Hospital (Portsmouth), Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, or Wessex Nuffield Hospital in Chandlers Ford. The operation takes 2–3 hours for each ear. After the operation, you will have a dressing around the implant site and a bandage around your head. You will need to keep the bandage and wound dry. You will need time off work to rest after the operation.
You will return to USAIS about 10 days after your operation for a check-up with the Senior Nurse or one of the surgeons. They will check your wound. This appointment is short but important. Your first appointments to tune your implant will take place a few days after this check-up.
Mr Tim Mitchell and Mr Robert Chessman, West Locality Surgeons (click on each image for more information about each surgeon)
Professor William Hellier and Mr Rohan Vithlani, Central Locality Surgeons (click on each image for more information about each surgeon)
Mr Marcel Geyer, East Locality Surgeon and Miss Carol Xie, North Locality Surgeon (click on each image for more information about each surgeon)