Professor Lawrence Hirst

Professor Hirst has the strong belief that there is nothing more important for an individual patient than the one opportunity they have to have successful surgery. 

To maximise this opportunity for the patient, he has developed a personal philosophy that includes:

• Obtaining an uninterrupted 8-9 hour sleep on the night before an operating session
• Abstaining from alcohol and caffeine for 24 hours before operating
• Arriving early for the surgical session to prepare all notes about the surgery and inspect all equipment and see that the personnel are prepared as well
• Spending whatever time is required to obtain the optimal surgical result for the individual patient
• No distractions in the operating theatre with minimal talking and soft music playing

This surgical philosophy is based on the premise that in “this theatre” there are no rehearsals, there is only one opportunity to get “it right” for the patient.