Prof. Chris Collins
Consultant General Surgeon
Hospital
Galway
Department
General Surgery
Specialties
General Surgery
Biography
Current Position
Professor Collins practices as Consultant General and Upper GI surgeon in the Bon Secours Hospital and Galway University Hospital as well as Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe. Chris is currently the Upper GI lead for the HSE West and a member of the National ICU Committee. He is also a lecturer in Surgery at National University Ireland, Galway and University of Limerick.
Clinical Expertise
Professor Collins major areas of expertise include upper gastrointestinal swallowing difficulties including achalasia, dysmotility and oesophageal reflux, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of oesophageal (gullet) and Gastric (stomach) cancers.
Professor Collins has extensive laparoscopic experience in general surgery and performs laparoscopic cholecystectomy (keyhole gallstone disease) as well as laparoscopic repair of groin and abdominal wall herniae. He offers direct access gastroscopy and colonoscopy in suitable patients for quick and easy diagnosis.
Background:
Professor Collins began his surgical training in Cork completing his basic surgical training and research in surgery there. Following his PhD, he completed the Higher Surgical Training Scheme in General and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery along with a Masters in Quality in Healthcare. He then did a fellowship in Guys and St Thomas' in London with Professor Bob Mason concentrating on oesophago-gastric as well as bariatric surgery. He was subsequently appointed to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge as a Consultant Surgeon, where his main areas of interest were minimally invasive oesophago-gastric surgery as well as the early diagnosis and treatment of Barretts Oesophagus using Endoscopic Mucosal Resection and Radio-frequency Ablation. He was vice-chairman of the Anglia Oesophago-Gastric Group and was a founding member of the Cambridge Hernia Centre specialising in Laparoscopic Inguinal and Incisional Herniae.
Chris is a graduate of UCC engineering and medical schools. On completing his basic training he undertook research at the Cork Cancer Research Centre with Professor Gerry O'Sullivan and developed the electrochemotherapy programme there, which culminated in a successful clinical trial and the development of new medical devices for the laparoscopic and endoscopic delivery of this treatment. He was awarded the St Luke’s Young Investigator Medal in 2005 and has published in excess of 30 peer-reviewed papers as well as being involved in the successful awarding of grants from the EU as well as Enterprise Ireland for the development of electroporation devices as well as educational animation software.
He is very involved in clinical research and teaching in Galway University Hospital and Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe in the areas of patient safety, minimally invasive day case and upper gastrointestinal surgery.
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