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Mr Angelos Kolias 2022-03-30 Person 5 5 0

I felt that Mr Kolias really listened to what I had to say. My case isn’t textbook and he used the information specific to me to guide my care. He was kind and reassuring when I first saw him in A&E, due to the bed situation at Addenbrookes, arranged for me to come in for a prearranged appointment a few days later. This prevented me from spending the night in A&E. I had a very efficient covid swab, eye clinic appointment and then an infusion study on the ward. He came to see me that evening and spoke about the findings of the infusion study, that my shunt was blocked, he reassured me that I would be admitted and would be placed on the emergency list to have a shunt revision. His manner was very calming and his communication skills excellent in clearly telling me what the plan was. It was my first admission under adult care, so I was extremely nervous and apprehensive, he knew this and arranged for my mum to have open visiting on the adult ward, even though covid restrictions are still in place, so that she could make sure I didn’t get overwhelmed and frightened. I have procedural anxiety, as I have had 52 trips to theatre now, so it made a massive difference having my mum around. Mr Kolias was very reassuring after I had my surgery, when he came to see me on ward rounds after my surgery. I didn’t bounce back very well after surgery, as my hydrocephalus is complex, I felt involved in decision making around my care, and again communication was excellent. I had another infusion study on the Thursday that didn’t quite go to plan, I got very upset and couldn’t see my mum when I sterile cover was placed over my face, this was after lots of conversation about how and where to place needles. The needles were placed but need replacing, I felt very out of control, so had to stop the procedure. Mr Kolias came to see me to tell me that it was ok that I couldn’t go through with it. But they needed to know my shunt was safe. He carefully explained that I could have it under anaesthetic but the results aren’t as accurate and the theatre lists were very full. He asked if I would be willing to give the infusion study another go the next day, and that he would come and do the procedure himself. He was so careful cleaning my wound, explaining everything that was happening, and what would happen next. I’ve had around ten infusion studies done awake over the years, it’s the first time I haven’t cried. He made me feel calm, I really appreciated him taking the time to do this for me. It was good news that my shunt was safe. I didn’t feel pressure to leave the hospital, he explained that as my shunt was safe I could go home to recover or I had the option to stay in and be observed until I started to pick up. I went home, with a follow up in clinic and Mr Kolias reminded me that we could call the Clinical Nurse Specialist if I had any questions or things started to deteriorate, or to come back to A&E if there was a dramatic decline in my health. My discharge and information relating to my recovery was faultless. The main thing I would say is that I’ve been in and out of hospital for 12 years, and I can close down very quickly to Doctors. But I trusted Mr Kolias, I felt he understood my individual case, not just what the textbooks say. He cared about my physical and mental well-being. His approach is knowledgeable, professional, caring, approachable, with excellent communication skills. I would highly recommend him to anyone. It’s one thing to be a excellent skilled surgeon, but having excellent interpersonal skills too, meant everything during my stay in hospital.