Practising at
Mr Adam Stearns
Consultant Surgeon
BM BCh MA DPhil FRCS
I have been a consultant in general and colorectal surgery at Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital since 2016. My main interests are in colorectal cancer and neurendocrine tumours, while maintaining a keen interest in the diagnosis of bowel disorders, benign colorectal surgery and hernia surgery.
I am an experienced and advanced laparoscopic (keyhole) surgeon, and offer minimally invasive surgery to most patients undergoing major colorectal surgery.
My outpatient clinics particularly focus on the diagnosis, management and prevention of benign anal and rectal pathology, including haemorrhoids, fistula, fissures, pilonidal sinus disease, and prolapse. I see many patients with defaecatory problems including incontinence, soiling and obstructive defaecation. I also assess patients with complex diverticular disease and inflammatory bowel disease needing surgical intervention. I have specialist interests in appendix problems, and liaise with national referral centres in Basingstoke and Manchester where appropriate.
I am experienced in colonoscopy, and in diagnosis and treatment of most benign polyps.
I trained in Oxford, qualifying in 2002, and then underwent basic surgical training in Glasgow. After a three year research fellowship in Harvard Medical School, Boston (for which I was awarded a DPhil from Oxford), I underwent higher surgical training in East of England, including posts in Norfolk a& Norwich and Cambridge. After entry onto the specialist register, I did specialist fellowships in advanced laparoscopic colorectal surgery at St Marks Hospital, London, and peritoneal malignancy including cytoreductive surgery and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy at the Colorectal and Peritoneal Oncology Centre in The Christie, Manchester.
At Norfolk & Norwich, I have introduced surgery for colorectal peritoneal metastases, and we are the only unit in the East of England offering cytoreductive surgery and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).
I am currently Service (Clinical) Director for General Surgery at Norfolk & Norwich, having previously been the Chair for the colorectal cancer multidisciplinary team and lead for the 2-week-wait colorectal cancer pathway, the largest such pathway in the United Kingdom.
I have a longstanding research background, and remain active in research with ongoing national and international collaborations. I have particular interests in patient's quality of life after colorectal surgery, and in advanced colonic cancer surgery. I have given invited talks to a number of national and international meetings, including patient groups such as Ileostomy Association.
I am committed to surgical training, and have been invited faculty on a number of courses arranged by the national colorectal trainee body. I am a longstanding faculty member on a European specialty association course, teaching advanced colonic cancer surgery (complete mesocolic excision) – a highly specialist technique only performed in a small number of UK centres.
Treatment information
Some of the principal treatments carried out by Mr Adam Stearns at Spire include:
Colorectal surgery
- Anal fistula surgery
- Anal warts surgery
- Haemorrhoids removal treatment
- Hernia surgery
- Laparoscopy investigation and treatment
General surgery
- Bowel surgery, colostomy and ileostomy
- Colonoscopy
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy
Other treatments
- Appendicectomy
- Bowel functional problems
- Pilonidal sinus disease
Get in touch
Additional information
Clinical interests
Coloproctology
Colorectal surgery
Endoscopy
Hernia repair surgery
Laparoscopic surgery
Minimal access surgery
Qualification and professional memberships
Bchelor of Arts (Hons)- Physiological Sciences / University of Oxford / 1999
BA (Hons)
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery / University of Oxford / 2002
BM BCh
Master of Arts / University of Oxford / 2003
MA (Oxon)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Physiological Sciences / University of Oxford / 2010
DPhil
Fellowship of Royal College of Surgeons / Royal College of Surgeons (England) / 2014
FRCS (Gen Surg)
Professional memberships
Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI)
European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP)
Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons, England (FRCS)
Professional leadership
I am the Service Director for General and Thoracic Surgery at Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital (2022-) Prior to this I was Chair of the Colorectal Cancer Multidisciplinary Team at Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital (2020-2022) and Specialty Lead for East of England Clinical Research Network for Surgery (2018-2022)
Current NHS posts
Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Personal profile
I'm married with two young sons. I've recently taken up beekeeping.
Contact information
| Telephone | 01603 255 614 |
| Private secretary | Ellie Mills |
| Private secretary telephone | 01622 430 351 |
| Private secretary email | emills@norwichcolorectal.co.uk |