The journey towards bronchoscopic surgery: an inaugural by Professor Shah

Professor Pallav Shah delivered his inaugural lecture at Imperial College London entitled ‘Journey towards bronchoscopic surgery'.

In an informative and enjoyable presentation Professor Shah shared with us the development of airway bypass surgery and the future of operations without cuts. For much of the last century respiratory diseases, including lung cancer, were commonly treated by cutting away bits of the lung, a risky procedure and many patients died due to their surgery. Since the 1990s down-windpipe bronchoscopic techniques (a less invasive technique where surgeons carry out surgery down the patient’s windpipe) have promised an alternative, making use of advancement in instrumentation, lenses and cameras. By avoiding invasive surgery through the skin, this approach saves patients unnecessary trauma and also reduces the demands on medical staff and beds. 

"Building a team with uniform values and goals has been the biggest highlight rather than any of my individual accolades or achievements" Professor Pallav Shah

Pallav emphasised the importance of working collaboratively and introduced us to key colleagues as he talked us through treatments for lung cancer, emphysema, asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and chronic bronchitis. We learned about the use of colonoscopy snares to lasso lung cancer tumours, bronchial thermoplasty to treat severe or persistent asthma without the need for drugs, and using lung volume reduction coils for emphysema. We were also introduced to his team's pioneering use of potentially deadly liquid nitrogen for the treatment of chronic bronchitis, which cools the airway to -296 degrees. Finally, Pallav shared his secret for keeping calm during bronchoscopic procedures: diving with sharks!

The lecture, including video clips of the procedures, was recorded and can be watched on YouTube. 

After the lecture I caught up with Pallav to find out a little bit more about him: 

Who or what inspired you as a child?

From the age of four years I wanted to become a doctor. Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub has been the biggest inspiration. His work ethic, compassion, charity work but mostly his pioneering spirit and refusal to be constrained by current practice.

What has been the highlight of your career to date?

Clearly becoming is Professor at Imperial is incredible, a great honour and very prestigious, but building a team with uniform values and goals has been the biggest highlight rather than any of my individual accolades or achievements.

What do you consider are the biggest challenges in your area of research?

Getting funding for my area of research in bronchoscopic treatments is still a challenge especially for emphysema. Doctors think nothing can be done and patients don't like to seek help as they think their suffering is self-inflicted from smoking.

What would you be doing if you weren’t a Consultant Physician and Professor?

I always wanted to do medicine from a very young age so I truly cannot imagine doing anything else.

What do you like to do when you are not working? 

I love scuba diving but on a weekly basis I enjoy gardening (I won a best lawn competition for The Telegraph a few years back).

Professor Pallav Shah is a consultant physician in respiratory medicine at Royal Brompton Hospital and also at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital. He has a general respiratory practice with specialist clinical interest in lung cancer, bronchoscopy and the bronchoscopic treatment of lung diseases.