Reviews
I am grateful to Mr Coombs for his kind listening ear. He answered all my questions. He made me feel as if I was in caring very professional hands. I was very grateful he was able to offer me radiotherapy as part of the operation. This has meant my experience of breast cancer has been made less intrusive and caused far less anxiety. I was operated on treated with radio therapy and home the same day. There has been far fewer hospital vists. I compare my treatment to others I know and have read about and consider I have had the best on offer. I also know this treatment is not appropriate for everyone. However I consider I have been blessed by having a brilliant surgeon and up to date treatment.
Mr Coombs gave me excellent care in my operation.
Mr Nathan Coombs was extremely warm, kind and approachable. He listened, chatted and made me feel at ease. It is a very anxious time when, as a patient you have to wait to hear the outcome. By obtaining all the evidence first, mammogram/Screening there was very little waiting around. The team at GWH was faultless and made what could have been a very difficult time, a bit of a pleasure - to be honest. Well done and keep up the fantastic work.
My experience of being treated by Mr Coombs was a very positive one. I found him very easy to talk to and listen to. He was very empathetic when discussing my treatment. I was treated with dignity and respect at all times. I would not hesitate in recommending him to other patients needing breast surgery/care.
I have never been put so at ease during a hospital appointment. Mr Coombs has a friendly, welcoming manner and I really felt that whatever was going on with me, here was a doctor who I could trust to do his best for me. He listened to what I had to say and kept me me fully informed throughout my visit.
I don’t really think I can see how they could improve or have given greater care, so thank you Mr Coombs and the staff around you.
Profile
Mr Nathan Coombs is the senior consultant surgeon with 20 years experience in breast surgery, endocrine surgery and general surgery. As a trained general surgeon he performs complex hernia operations. He is the Director of The Hernia Clinic (www.herniaclinic.co.uk) and is the main surgeon for laparoscopic (keyhole) hernia surgery in the area.
As a breast surgeon he is passionate about minimally invasive surgery and specialises in day-case breast cancer techniques that preserve the aesthetics of the breast without compromising cancer outcomes.He is one of only six UK specialist breast surgeons who are able to offer intra-operative radiotherapy (IORT), a technique of allowing women with breast cancer to receive all of their cancer treatment in one day. He first became involved in IORT in November 2012 and treated the first patient in Wiltshire in 2015.
He graduated from Southampton University and has worked in the NHS since 1992. He completed an 18 month fellowship at Sydney’s Breast Cancer Institute where he gained expertise in minimally invasive breast cancer techniques and researched extensively about hormone therapy and breast cancer risk. He is the author of many research papers, published in international peer-reviewed medical journals and is an advisor to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer as well as a specialist commentator for technology appraisal with the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
In Swindon and North Wiltshire he is now the senior breast cancer surgeon and since 2014 has been the clinical director of private patient services. As an experienced general surgeon he provides vascular access techniques for chemotherapy provision his cancer patients. He also serves as a specialist commentator for technology appraisal with the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence.
In his spare time Mr Coombs works with non-governmental charitable organisation, Mercy Ships, where he runs two-day essential surgical skills courses in West African countries, teaching local surgeons in basic and safe surgical techniques