Professor Gurpreet SANDHU 

MBBS, MD(Res), FRCS, FRCS(ORL-HNS)

I believe I have achieved national and international standing and made outstanding contributions to the field of Laryngology.

–  I am the lead for the Airway Reconstruction Unit at Imperial, which is one of the largest adult services in Europe, and unique in being multidisciplinary.  

– Through my efforts this unit has acquired the title ‘National Centre for Airway Reconstruction’.

– When I was appointed consultant in 2003 no dedicated Laryngology service existed at Charing Cross Hospital. From the outset I personally collected prospective data and outcomes for patients and started presenting these at meetings.

– I have amongst the largest personal series in the world of rare laryngeal diseases such as GPA, sarcoidosis, amyloidosis and mucous membrane pemphigoid.

– I have pioneered and published minimally invasive approaches to airway diseases that have turned around traditional concepts of laryngeal surgery and reduced the morbidity and hospital stay for my patients.

– Up to 70% of the referrals to the Airway Unit are from outside London and many are from Europe, Middle East and Asia.

– I have hosted teams of visitors at Imperial from Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland clinic, Vanderbilt and many from Europe and Asia who have come to see the pioneering work of the unit.

– Through my efforts the ‘Airway Unit’ has expanded to include a multidisciplinary team (radiologist, pathologist, speech therapist, psychologist, nurse specialists and MDT coordinator) which meets once a week and offers opinions via the web to other units around the country. 

– With the recruitment of a Speech therapist with a PhD in dysphagia and an additional ENT consultant with an interest in Laryngology we have also grown as a national ENT Centre for the assessment and management of swallowing and voice problems.

– I helped set up the country’s first MDT (meeting weekly at the Royal Brompton Hospital) to look at ‘Laryngeal Airway Dysfunction’. These are a set of conditions that are an under recognised, often misdiagnosed, and poorly managed.

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Professor Hesham Saleh

MBBCh, FRCSI, FRCS (ORL-HNS), IBCFPRS

I am a Consultant Rhinologist/Facial Plastic Surgeon at Charing Cross and Royal Brompton Hospitals and Professor of Practice (Rhinology) at the Imperial College London. In my practice, I operate exclusively on the nose and sinuses with a particularly large number of complex and tertiary referral cases. I am Board Certified in Facial Plastic Surgery by the IBFPRS & EBFPRS. I am the Past President of the European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery (EAFPS) and Past President of the British Society of Facial Plastic Surgery (BSFPS). I am also the Past President of the section of Laryngology & Rhinology in the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) and past council member of the British Rhinological Society (BRS). I am a member of the Board of the International Federation of Facial Plastic Surgery Societies (IFFPSS). I am also Senior Advisor and member of the Bylaws Committee in the European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery (EAFPS). I am the Chairman of the Editorial Board of Journal of ENT Masterclass and member of the Editorial Board of Facial Plastic Surgery. I was listed by “The Times” as one of Britain’s top 140 doctors and top 50 surgeons. I also listed by Tatler magazine as one of the best rhinoplasty surgeons. I have more than 140 peer-reviewed articles and 40 book chapters on rhinology and rhinoplasty and am regularly invited speaker worldwide. I lecture in rhinoplasty and sinus courses across the UK and globally. I am a co-director of the University College London Rhinoplasty and FESS Course. EDUCATION 1975-1978 1978-1980 1980-1983 Baghdad College, Baghdad (high school)

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Professor Shakeel R. Saeed

MBBS(Lon), FRCS(Ed), FRCS(Eng), MD(Man), FRCS(ORL,Eng)

Extensive experience in lateral skullbase surgery and implantation otology – leading UK opinion in this field

Over 3000 complex ear surgeries

Over 500 cochlear implant surgeries

Over 500 vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma) and other skullbase surgeries

41 auditory brainstem implant surgeries (adults and children)

President of the European Academy of Otology and Neurotology 2018-2022

President of the Royal Society of Medicine, Section of Otology 2013-2014

President of the British Skullbase Society 2013-2015

President of the British Society of Academic Otorhinolaryngology 2011-2016

Vice-President of the British Cochlear Implant Group 2011-2015

Chairman of the BACO 2015 Academic committee

Collegium Oto-Rhino-Laryngologicum Amicitiae Sacrum (by nomination)

Honorary member of the Spanish ENT Society since 2022 (by invitation)

Administrative Advisory Board of JIAO

Medicine and Clinical Trials Group lead, UCL Ear Institute 2008 – 2023

Clinical Director of The Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital 2012-2020

Active in otological research and peer review.

Over 200 peer-reviewed publications

Over 350 presentations at scientific meetings nationally and internationally

Professor Saeed is currently a leading surgeon and researcher in disorders of the ear, hearing, balance, facial nerve and skullbase. He manages patients from all over the UK as well internationally. 

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LONG-TERM MISSION: JANUARY–FEBRUARY 2027

Following the August–November mission, Rwanda Legacy of Hope is planning a third long-term medical mission for Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeons, lasting six weeks from January to February 2027 at CHUK University Hospital.