Professor Tan Arulampalam

Professor Tan Arulampalam qualified as a Doctor in 1992 from St Bartholomew’s Hospital (University of London). He completed his basic surgical training at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and was appointed to the higher surgical training scheme in London in 1996. After completion of his training he undertook a Fellowship with Professor Cristiano Hüscher in Rome and was appointed Consultant Laparoscopic GI Surgeon at Colchester General Hospital in November 2003.He has performed over 500 laparoscopic colorectal resections as well as a full range of advanced laparoscopic biliary, GI, emergency and hernia surgery. He is a Preceptor in Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery for the Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. Professor Arulampalam was awarded a Doctorate by the University of London in 2003 for his research and subsequent thesis on the role of Positron Emission Topography in Colorectal Cancer Imaging. He has continued his research interests in PET, colorectal cancer and laparoscopic surgery since taking up his appointment. He has been an honorary senior lecturer at the University of Essex and is presently Reader in Surgery at Anglia Ruskin University. As Clinical Director of the ICENI Centre, Professor Arulampalam has taken an active role in training, both on courses in Colchester, as well as mentoring surgeons at their own hospitals. He is on the faculty at the European Surgical Institute in Hamburg, regularly lecturing and training in laparoscopic colorectal surgery. He continues to publish his work in peer-reviewed journals and was, until recently, on the editorial board of the Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He also acts as a medical advisor to the national charity Beating Bowel Cancer and has been appointed network lead for the Department of Health Bowel cancer Awareness campaign. He has worked on Department of Health projects on Enhanced Recovery Programmes and is a trainer on the National Laparoscopic Colorectal training programme. As a member of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland International Development Committee he has worked worked towards establishing closer links between the surgical fraternities of developed and developing nations for exchange of ideas and opportunities. In addition, to these activities he has also been a regular advisor to BBC Drama working on Holby City as well as working on other shows such as Law and Order, Harley Street, Dalziel and Pascoe and Silk. Professor Arulampalam is also on the Council of the Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (President 2023-2025) and International Society of Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgeons. He is an active member of the Research Committee of the European Association of Endoscopic Surgeons (Chair 2021-2025)

I have an interesting in colorectal cancer, endoscopy as well as video assisted anal fistula and pilonidal sinus surgery. I also specialise in groin hernia surgery as well as parastomal and complex incisional and abdominal wall hernia.