Office: 02380764967
Care the way it should be...all about you
Take back control of your hands and get back to what you love
Who am I?
Hi, I'm Alistair Phillips
I am a Consultant Orthopaedic Hand and Trauma Surgeon working in Southampton, UK. I work at the Major Trauma Centre as well as the Wessex Nuffield Hospital and Winchester Healthshare Clinic. I sub-specialise in problems with the hand, wrist and elbow and in particular the use of local anaesthetics to improve your experience and outcome - the "Wide Awake Hand Surgery" technique.
Why book with me?
Empathy, Expertise and Engagement
Empathy
In 2018 I had to have my own hand operated on (through no fault of my own)! Fortunately everything went well...
I chose to have it done under local anaesthetic and it changed my perspective forever. Having an injury or longer term problem with your hands is difficult, both physically and psychologically. I understand that.
Expertise
I am a fellowship-trained hand, wrist and elbow surgeon. I lecture internationally on the use of Local Anaesthetics (LA). I also contributed to the book (Wide Awake Hand Surgery), have won prizes for my educational videos and also set up and run a global charity about LA (Walant.Surgery).
Patient Engagement
I am a firm believer that if you know as much as possible about your hand problem, what the surgery inlvolves, how it's going during the operation and finally how to rehabilitate yourself then you will get a better result. Clearly my expert therapists and I will be there every step of the way! I aim to educate and engage all my patients and even give a lecture titled "How Tweeting during your surgery can improve your outcome"!
My Philosophy
To get you back to what you need to do with speed, efficency and with you making the decisions
Non-operative first, always.
The first thing to state is that most hand problems can be treated without surgery. Hand Therapists are the backbone of any Hand Surgery practice and I have a fantastic relationship with the experts at the Wessex Nuffield hospital. Surgery is always a last resort in my world and my practice is designed around educating, informing and hand therapy first and foremost.
Operative only if needed.
When surgery is required I discuss with you, the patient, the options from the most minimal to the most invasive but always prefer the former! Having had surgery on my own hand I am empathetic and always very cautious about taking that step to surgery. My preference is always to have my patients awake but not necessarily watching! I'm always delighted when they do though.
Approach
Discover how I make a difference with your hands
I give a lecture from time to time on "How Tweeting during your surgery can improve your outcome"! What I discuss is how being engaged before and during your surgery, however much you feel reading this that you would "never do that", means that you deeply understand what the problem was, you feel vindicated and "weren't making it up" and when I've fixed it the way you want, you can say "phew, at long last I know for a fact that it's fixed"!
All these are quotes from actual patients (the last one being my own!).
When you have seen your hand working for the first time in ages, it is an immensely powerful stimulus to do your rehabilitation properly and with the confidence that deep understanding brings.
That's why you can get a better result by Tweeting during your case. We can even do selfies...;)
Leave me a review
Reviews are incredibly important for future patients to know what you are likely to expect when patients see me. They are also integral to my practice so I know that my philosophy and skills are working for my patients.
If I have treated you and you'd like to leave a review, please do so. All reviews and testimonials are certified authentic by TopDoctors.
Summary of experience
I have a wealth of experience in Hand Surgery. I am Fellowship trained in Derby at the world famous Pulvertaft Hand Centre and was also a Hand Fellow in Southampton before getting my Consultant job.
I am also Chief Medical Officer for a Management consultancy firm called Ortho Consulting Group specialising in assisting Orthopaedic companies in the UK and globally.
Wide Awake Hand Surgery
(Also know as Wide Awake Local Anaesthesia No Tourniquet - WALANT)
Research and Education
Secretaries
Shelley-Anne and Sylvia are your primary contacts in the office. They are always cheerful, helpful and a mine of information. Although not clinical both have huge experience with my practice and will able to help with all sorts of questions, so just ask.
Lead Hand Therapist at Wessex Nuffield
I would trust Sarah with my own hands. She is an excellent and motivational therapist with vast experience. She is a recent convert to "Wide Awake Hand Surgery" and Sarah and her colleagues will be your first points of contact in your rehabilitation.