Mr Adam Ajis

Mr Adam Ajis is a highly experienced Consultant Foot and Ankle Surgeon specialising exclusively in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of foot and ankle conditions. His principal areas of expertise are patient-specific total ankle replacement, minimally invasive keyhole bunion surgery, big toe arthritis, forefoot reconstruction, foot and ankle trauma, and revision surgery.

He has been a consultant since 2013 and combines a busy specialist private practice with his role as an NHS Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. He consults and operates privately at Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital and Goring Hall Hospital in Worthing. Private surgery may also be available at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester.

Mr Ajis sees patients from across West Sussex, East Sussex, Surrey and the wider South East who are seeking an expert surgical opinion for a painful, arthritic, deformed or injured foot or ankle. He frequently provides second opinions, including for patients who wish to explore whether minimally invasive surgery, ankle replacement or another motion-preserving treatment may be suitable for them.

PATIENT-SPECIFIC ANKLE REPLACEMENT AND ANKLE ARTHRITIS

Mr Ajis has particular expertise in total ankle replacement for patients with advanced ankle arthritis. He uses CT-based three-dimensional planning and patient-specific instrumentation to plan implant size, rotation, alignment and positioning before the day of surgery. Bespoke cutting guides are then manufactured to correspond with the individual patient’s anatomy.

For appropriately selected patients, total ankle replacement can relieve pain while preserving movement at the ankle. Mr Ajis also performs ankle fusion and offers clear, individualised advice to patients who are uncertain whether ankle replacement or ankle fusion would be the better treatment for them.

His ankle arthritis practice includes primary and revision ankle replacement, post-traumatic ankle arthritis, arthritic ankles with deformity, previous fractures, failed ankle fusion and problems following earlier ankle surgery. Recommendations are based on the patient’s symptoms, standing X-rays, CT findings, age, activity level, general health and personal goals.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE BUNION SURGERY

Minimally invasive, percutaneous or “keyhole” bunion correction has been a core, high-volume part of Mr Ajis’s surgical practice since becoming a consultant in 2013.

The correction is performed through portals measuring only a few millimetres, using specialised surgical burrs and continuous X-ray guidance. The bones are repositioned and secured with low-profile screws. Where this technique is appropriate, it can reduce soft-tissue disruption and produce smaller scars than a conventional open approach. Most patients are able to walk on the day of surgery in a protective postoperative shoe.

Mr Ajis treats the full range of bunion deformity, from primary hallux valgus to recurrent or revision bunions. Each operation is individually planned according to the severity and pattern of the deformity rather than using the same procedure for every patient.

FOREFOOT RECONSTRUCTION AND LESSER TOE DEFORMITY

Mr Ajis also has extensive experience in the surgical correction of hammer toes, claw toes, mallet toes, crossover toes, bunionettes, plantar plate injuries, metatarsalgia and other painful forefoot deformities.

Where several related problems are present, they can often be addressed during the same operation as a comprehensive forefoot reconstruction. Mr Ajis uses minimally invasive techniques where suitable, while selecting an open or combined approach when this is more likely to provide a reliable correction.

BIG TOE ARTHRITIS

Mr Ajis treats arthritis of the big toe, also known as hallux rigidus, at all stages of the condition.

For suitable earlier arthritis, treatment may include a cheilectomy or another joint-preserving procedure intended to improve movement and relieve impingement pain. For advanced arthritis, first metatarsophalangeal joint fusion can provide dependable pain relief and restore a stable platform for walking.

The recommended operation depends on the severity and location of the arthritis, remaining joint movement, activity level, footwear requirements and the patient’s expectations from surgery.

FOOT AND ANKLE TRAUMA

Alongside his elective surgical practice, Mr Ajis remains actively involved in NHS trauma care. He assesses and treats acute foot and ankle fractures, ankle fractures, Lisfranc injuries, Achilles tendon ruptures, ligament injuries and complications following previous trauma.

His continuing trauma practice provides extensive experience of both recent injuries and their longer-term consequences, including post-traumatic arthritis, deformity, stiffness, nonunion, malunion and problems following previous fracture surgery.

OTHER FOOT AND ANKLE SURGERY

Mr Ajis’s wider surgical practice includes ankle arthroscopy, treatment of ankle cartilage injuries, ankle ligament reconstruction, Achilles tendon surgery, tendon reconstruction, flatfoot correction, cavus or high-arched foot correction, midfoot and hindfoot arthritis, fusion surgery, post-traumatic reconstruction and revision foot and ankle surgery.

TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

Mr Ajis completed higher specialist training in Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery in Cheshire and Merseyside before undertaking an international fellowship at the internationally renowned Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction in Baltimore, USA.

He subsequently completed a second specialist foot and ankle fellowship in the UK, gaining further advanced experience in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery, minimally invasive techniques and ankle replacement.

He holds BMedSc (Hons), MBChB, MRCSEd and FRCS (Tr & Orth). He is a member of the British Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society and the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society.

TEACHING AND RESEARCH

Mr Ajis is an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Brighton and Sussex Medical School and teaches on regional, national and international foot and ankle courses.

He has published in leading specialist journals, including Foot & Ankle International, The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery and Foot and Ankle Clinics. He has also contributed specialist foot and ankle expertise to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

APPROACH TO PATIENT CARE

Mr Ajis believes that patients should leave their consultation with a clear understanding of their diagnosis, the available treatment options and what recovery is likely to involve.

Surgery is recommended only when it is likely to offer worthwhile long-term benefit. Treatment is tailored to the individual patient’s mobility, employment, sport, footwear, lifestyle and recovery goals. When surgery is not the best option, Mr Ajis provides clear advice about the most appropriate non-surgical treatment.

Face-to-face, telephone and video consultations are available. Self-funding patients do not require a GP referral.