Striving for continual improvement in patient care is the aim of Dr Gaius Longcroft-Wheaton , MD Novel Endoscopic Techniques ‘ 11 . A consultant gastroenterologist at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth , and Honorary Reader of Medicine at the University of Portsmouth , Gaius combines academic research with clinical work to improve patient treatment and outcomes .
While completing his research degree , Gaius explored novel endoscopic techniques using dye sprays and electronic imaging to find and diagnose early gastrointestinal ( GI ) neoplasia - or abnormal cell growth . He investigated the use of acetic acid to find pre-cancerous cells in the oesophagus , a condition called Barrett ’ s oesophagus . This important work is changing the way the condition can be treated . Finding these changes used to require biopsies and , even then , they couldn ’ t be physically seen and were very difficult to treat . Using Gaius ’ s technique , visualisation of a neoplastic change is now possible , making much more targeted therapy possible . Pre-malignant and early malignant changes can be removed with an endoscope rather than through an invasive oesophagectomy .
Intramucosal cancer visualised with acetic acid demonstrating early loss of aceto-whitening .
Gaius ’ research has been published in high impact medical journals . After his MD he secured a £ 250,000 NIHR grant to take the research even further , moving it into a surveillance population in a multi centre mixed methods feasibility study , including results from a successful multicentre randomised control study using the technique . He is currently planning a study of the technique in over 2,000 patients in what will be a truly definitive study . Unfortunately , COVID has delayed the start of that study .
This research was just one aspect of what is , for Gaius , a most fulfilling career . After completing his research degree , he began clinical work , treating GI tract problems and illness . He is a specialist therapeutic endoscopist , with particular expertise in removing pre-malignant abnormal cells from the GI tract using endoscopic resectional techniques . In addition , he treats a range of cancers , inflammatory disease , functional and bleeding conditions in the GI tract . Informing this work is the ongoing research he carries out at the University of Portsmouth , enabling him to develop and refine new techniques to improve patient outcomes and care .
Dr Gaius Longcroft-Wheaton MD Novel Endoscopic Techniques
“ Everything I ’ m doing in my research is connected to my clinical work . They ’ re completely aligned . And the research techniques develop better treatments for managing our patients in these situations . The type of work we do moves things from being a concept into a clinically-deliverable treatment ,” he explains .
“ If you discover neoplasia early enough , identify it , you can do a much less invasive treatment than if you discover it at a later stage . This result is less destructive techniques being required , better patient outcomes and less time in hospital . We do these as day cases .” Gaius is always looking to improve techniques and move things forward . He ’ s working on the next stage of his acetic acid study and he ’ s hoping to gain a grant to look at ways to improve diagnosis of chronic neoplasia by combining frequent chemical testing with endoscopy .
His decision to undertake a research degree has proved life-changing and , most definitely , career enhancing , opening doors and creating opportunities he would not have had otherwise . Gaius says “ I could have still become a consultant gastroenterologist without doing a research degree , but I couldn ’ t have had the same kind of job as I ’ m doing now . It ’ s meant I ’ ve been able to have a much more meaningful and much more fulfilled career .”
Gaius embodies a spirit of innovation . He is committed to finding ways to do things better tomorrow than they are done today . He credits both the Queen Alexandra Hospital and the University with creating environments in which his desire to improve , innovate , and make things better can thrive . “ It ’ s a fact that we can see a brighter future . We can make all of our techniques better , more effective , more tolerable for patients . And we can give our patients a better quality of care .”
’ IF YOU DISCOVER NEOPLASIA EARLY ENOUGH , IDENTIFY IT , YOU CAN DO A MUCH LESS INVASIVE TREATMENT THAN IF YOU DISCOVER IT AT A LATER STAGE .’