Mr Tom Pollard
MD FRCS (Tr&Orth) MRCS (Eng) MBChB BSc (Hons)
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon – hip and knee specialist
Introduction
Mr Tom Pollard is a high-volume hip and knee surgeon with a specialist interest in young adult hip problems including femoroacetabular impingement and hip dysplasia, groin pain, labral tears and degeneration, and hip arthroscopy. He practices throughout the M4/M40 triangle from Reading in the west, through Windsor, Ascot, and Stoke Poges, through to Central London (Harley Street Specialist Hospital). He is happy to see patients at any of these locations at their convenience, and also to consult remotely via video or telephone call.
Specialist interests
Hip Arthroscopy
Young adult hip conditions
Labral tears and degeneration
Hip arthritis
Hip replacement surgery
Hip revision surgery
Knee replacement surgery
Knee revision surgery
Knee arthroscopy
About Mr Tom Pollard
Following his Bachelor of Science degree for research in pathology and microbiology, Mr Pollard qualified as a doctor at the University of Bristol. After his basic training, including cardiothoracic and plastic surgery, he joined the Oxford Programme to complete his specialist orthopaedic training. He gained his medical doctorate (MD) here for his thesis on the causes, investigation, and treatment of early osteoarthritis of the hip and took up the prestigious post of Clinical Lecturer in Orthopaedic and Trauma surgery at the University of Oxford.
While taking his fellowship training at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, he enhanced his specialist skillset in treating hip and knee problems and took the opportunity to join the trust as a permanent Consultant in 2012, when he also began in private practice.
Mr Pollard enjoys a worldwide reputation as an expert in young adult hip disorders and his innovative research into this field was recognised on the global stage when he won two of the International Society for Hip Arthroscopy’s first three annual awards, in New York and Paris. He is recognised to have written many of the most important publications in the field of young adult hip surgery that have enhanced the understanding of how hips fail in young adults and how they should be investigated and treated. With 39 articles in peer-reviewed orthopaedic journals, he is a well-respected author who continues to collaborate with the University of Oxford on research and clinical trials. He was a senior co-author for a recently published BMJ study that provided level 1 evidence to support hip arthroscopy in the management of femoroacetabular impingement. He reviews regularly for the Bone and Joint Journal and the Journal of Hip Preservation surgery.
Since becoming a Consultant, Mr Pollard has performed over 1800 hip arthroscopies and continues to perform approximately 250 annually, making him one of the highest volume and most experienced surgeons in the UK in this technically-demanding subspecialist procedure. He regularly receives referrals from colleagues both locally and nationally for hip arthroscopy. He is in-demand both as a teacher on hip arthroscopy courses and as a lecturer both in the UK and internationally. He trains fellows in hip arthroscopy, as part of the Smith & Nephew sponsored fellowship programme based at the Royal Berkshire hospital, and is also part of a visiting surgeon programme, which gives consultant surgeons the chance to observe his hip arthroscopy techniques in person.
In addition to his large hip arthroscopy practice, Mr Pollard is a highly experienced and innovative joint replacement (arthroplasty) surgeon. He performs in excess of 250 hip and knee replacements annually, employing the latest techniques including the NAVIO Surgical system for robotic-assisted knee replacements. One of his key messages to his patients is the importance of remaining active after undergoing a joint replacement procedure. He uses uncemented implants with high performing bearings to allow patients to maintain high levels of activity postoperatively, without fear of early failure.
His philosophy is to tailor a plan for patients on an individual basis and to suit their needs, which includes physiotherapy and rehabilitation programs, and surgery if required, as described in the article entitled ‘Opening up about hip problems’, published in the January 2018 edition of Ask the Doctor magazine: http://europe.nxtbook.com. Many of his arthroplasty patients return to sporting activity including running, racquet sports, and skiing. Patients considering joint replacement and concerned about maintaining an active lifestyle afterwards may like to visit the Facebook discussion group ‘Hip replacement for active people’, which was set up by a patient of his and has been found to be very informative by subsequent patients.
Mr Pollard holds a level 2 Clinical Excellence award in recognition of his contribution to the NHS. He was appointed as Clinical Director of the department of Orthopaedic & Trauma surgery at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Feb 2017. As head of the department of 21 orthopaedic surgeons, through the Covid pandemic, he successfully lead the department to be one of the first in the UK to resume elective surgery and the strategy he developed to do this safely was published for other hospitals to follow.
In addition to his clinical practice, Mr Pollard was appointed to the position of British Orthopaedic Association Clinical Champion in 2015 and continues in this role. He is an advisor for orthopaedic commissioning in the Thames valley and has written many guidelines to ensure patients receive the treatment they need. He has a medicolegal practice specialising in hip surgery including hip arthroscopy, and is the orthopaedic medical representative on the Medical Advisory Committee at Spire Dunedin Hospital, Reading. He is a board member of the Harley Street Specialist Hospital and of Opus Diagnostics, Ascot.
Outside of work, Mr Pollard has two children and is a former Oxfordshire county cricketer. He now enjoys playing league cricket with his son. He previously captained his medical school football team, twice winning the national tournament.
Reviews
Before my hip arthroscopy operation, my hip was so bad I couldn’t even walk half a mile without pain. Thanks to Mr Pollard I can now go to the gym 5 days a week and walk for an hour with no pain. I can do everything I want and have my confidence back. It has been a life changing operation for me.
Natalie, 42, Reading
Latest reviews from Doctify:
Contact
Locations
Mr Pollard can see patients at the following locations:
Professional background
Mr Tom Pollard
MD FRCS (Tr&Orth) MRCS (Eng) MBChB BSc (Hons)
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon – hip and knee specialist
British Hip Society
International Society for Hip Arthroscopy
British Orthopaedic Association
Qualifications:
MD University of Bristol 2012
FRCS (Tr&Orth) Royal College of Surgeons of England 2010
MRCS (Eng) Royal College of Surgeons of England 2004
MBChB University of Bristol 2000
BSc (Hons) University of Bristol 1997
Awards received:
2011 International Society for Hip Arthroscopy Trainee presentation prize, Paris.
2010 Oxford Teacher of the Month Autumn.
2010 Award for Invaluable Service to the Conference Technical Programme, International Conference and Course on Orthopaedic Biomechanics, Clinical Applications, and Surgery. Brunel University, London.
2009 International Society for Hip Arthroscopy Trainee presentation prize, New York.
2008 Goodfellow Prize for Research, University of Oxford.
39 peer-reviewed articles in orthopaedic publications.
Young adult hip and Hip Arthroscopy:
1: Palmer AJR, Ayyar Gupta V, Fernquest S, Rombach I, Dutton SJ, Mansour R, Wood S, Khanduja V, Pollard TCB, McCaskie AW, Barker KL, Andrade TJMD, Carr AJ, Beard, DJ, Glyn-Jones S; FAIT Study Group. Arthroscopic hip surgery compared with physiotherapy and activity modification for the treatment of symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement: multicentre randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2019 Feb 7;364:l185. doi: 10.1136/bmj.l185. PMID: 30733197; PMCID: PMC6365841.
2: Parker SJM, Grammatopoulos G, Davies OLI, Lynch K, Pollard TCB, Andrade AJ. Outcomes of Hip Arthroplasty After Failed Hip Arthroscopy: A Case-Control Study. J Arthroplasty. 2017 Oct;32(10):3082-3087.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2017.05.023. Epub 2017 May 18. PMID: 28602531.
3: Davies O, Grammatopoulos G, Pollard TCB, Andrade AJ. Factors increasing risk of failure following hip arthroscopy: a case control study. J Hip Preserv Surg. 2018 Jun 22;5(3):240-246. doi: 10.1093/jhps/hny020. PMID: 30393551; PMCID: PMC6206686.
4: Erturan G, Alvand A, Judge A, Pollard TCB, Glyn-Jones S, Rees JL. Prior. Generic Arthroscopic Volume Correlates with Hip Arthroscopic Proficiency: A Simulator Study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2018 Jan 3;100(1):e3. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.17.00352. PMID: 29298267.
5: Palmer A, Fernquest S, Rombach I, Park D, Pollard TCB, Broomfield J, Bangerter N, Carr A, Glyn-Jones S. Diagnostic and prognostic value of delayed Gadolinium Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Cartilage (dGEMRIC) in early osteoarthritis of the hip. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2017 Sep;25(9):1468-1477. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2017.05.004. Epub 2017 May 12. PMID: 28506842.
6: Grammatopoulos G, Davies OLI, El-Bakoury A, Gill HS, Pollard TCB, Andrade AJ. A Traffic Light Grading System of Hip Dysplasia to Predict the Success of Arthroscopic Hip Surgery. Am J Sports Med. 2017 Oct;45(12):2891-2900. doi:10.1177/0363546517713176. Epub 2017 Jun 27. PMID: 28654765.
7: Pollard TCB, Gwilym SE, Carr AJ. The assessment of early osteoarthritis. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2008 Apr;90(4):411-21. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.90B4.20284. PMID: 18378911.
8: Palmer AJ, Ayyar-Gupta V, Dutton SJ, Rombach I, Cooper CD, Pollard TCB, Hollinghurst D, Taylor A, Barker KL, McNally EG, Beard DJ, Andrade AJ, Carr AJ, Glyn-Jones S. Protocol for the Femoroacetabular Impingement Trial (FAIT): a multi-centre randomised controlled trial comparing surgical and non-surgical management of femoroacetabular impingement. Bone Joint Res. 2014 Nov;3(11):321-7. doi: 10.1302/2046-3758.311.2000336. PMID: 25431439; PMCID: PMC4248299.
9: Gwilym SE, Pollard TCB, Carr AJ. Understanding pain in osteoarthritis. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2008 Mar;90(3):280-7. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.90B3.20167. PMID: 18310746.
10: Pollard TCB. A perspective on femoroacetabular impingement. Skeletal Radiol. 2011 Jul;40(7):815-8. doi: 10.1007/s00256-011-1137-z. PMID: 21404053.
11: Thomas GE, Palmer AJ, Andrade AJ, Pollard TCB, Fary C, Singh PJ, O’Donnell J, Glyn-Jones S. Diagnosis and management of femoroacetabular impingement. Br J Gen Pract. 2013 Jul;63(612):e513-5. doi: 10.3399/bjgp13X669392. PMID: 23834891; PMCID: PMC3693811.
12: Bouma H, Slot NJ, Toogood P, Pollard T, van Kampen P, Hogervorst T. Where is the neck? Alpha angle measurement revisited. Acta Orthop. 2014 Apr;85(2):147-51. doi: 10.3109/17453674.2014.899841. PMID: 24650023; PMCID: PMC3967256.
13: Palmer AJ, Thomas GE, Pollard TCB, Rombach I, Taylor A, Arden N, Beard DJ, Andrade AJ, Carr AJ, Glyn-Jones S. The feasibility of performing a randomised controlled trial for femoroacetabular impingement surgery. Bone Joint Res. 2013 Feb 1;2(2):33-40. doi: 10.1302/2046-3758.22.2000137. PMID: 23610700; PMCID: PMC3626218.
14: Pollard TCB, Batra RN, Judge A, Watkins B, McNally EG, Gill HS, Thomas GE, Glyn-Jones S, Arden NK, Carr AJ. The hereditary predisposition to hip osteoarthritis and its association with abnormal joint morphology. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2013 Feb;21(2):314-21. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2012.10.015. Epub 2012 Nov 1. PMID: 23123686.
15: Kemp JL, Makdissi M, Schache AG, Pritchard MG, Pollard TCB, Crossley KM. Hip chondropathy at arthroscopy: prevalence and relationship to labral pathology, femoroacetabular impingement and patient-reported outcomes. Br J Sports Med. 2014 Jul;48(14):1102-7. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2013-093312. Epub 2014 Mar 21. PMID: 24659505.
16: Pollard TCB, Batra RN, Judge A, Watkins B, McNally EG, Gill HS, Arden NK, Carr AJ. Genetic predisposition to the presence and 5-year clinical progression of hip osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2012 May;20(5):368-375. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2012.02.003. Epub 2012 Feb 14. PMID: 22343497.
17: de Boer SF, Bouma HW, Pollard TCB, Van Kampen PM, Carr AJ, Hogervorst T. Coxa recta, coxa profunda and abductor ratio: hip morphology variants compared in an arthroplasty and control population. Hip Int. 2013 May-Jun;23(3):287-92. doi: 10.5301/hipint.5000012. Epub 2013 Feb 14. PMID: 23417530.
18: Pollard TCB, McNally EG, Wilson DC, Wilson DR, Mädler B, Watson M, Gill HS, Carr AJ. Localized cartilage assessment with three-dimensional dGEMRIC in asymptomatic hips with normal morphology and cam deformity. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2010 Nov 3;92(15):2557-69. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.I.01200. PMID: 21048174.
19: Pollard TCB, Khan T, Price AJ, Gill HS, Glyn-Jones S, Rees JL. Simulated hip arthroscopy skills: learning curves with the lateral and supine patient positions: a randomized trial. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2012 May 16;94(10):e68. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.K.00690. PMID: 22617934.
20: Pollard TCB, Villar RN, Norton MR, Fern ED, Williams MR, Murray DW, Carr AJ. Genetic influences in the aetiology of femoroacetabular impingement: a sibling study. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2010 Feb;92(2):209-16. doi:10.1302/0301-620X.92B2.22850. PMID: 20130310.
21: Pollard TCB, Villar RN, Norton MR, Fern ED, Williams MR, Simpson DJ, Murray DW, Carr AJ. Femoroacetabular impingement and classification of the cam deformity: the reference interval in normal hips. Acta Orthop. 2010 Feb;81(1):134-41. doi: 10.3109/17453671003619011. PMID: 20175650; PMCID: PMC2856218.
22: Nicholls AS, Kiran A, Pollard TCB, Hart DJ, Arden CP, Spector T, Gill HS, Murray DW, Carr AJ, Arden NK. The association between hip morphology parameters and nineteen-year risk of end-stage osteoarthritis of the hip: a nested case-control study. Arthritis Rheum. 2011 Nov;63(11):3392-400. doi: 10.1002/art.30523. PMID: 21739424; PMCID: PMC3494291.
Arthroplasty:
1: da Assunção RE, Pollard TCB, Hrycaiczuk A, Curry J, Glyn-Jones S, Taylor A. Revision arthroplasty for periprosthetic femoral fracture using an uncemented modular tapered conical stem. Bone Joint J. 2015 Aug;97-B(8):1031-7. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.97B8.34431. PMID: 26224817.
2: Pollard TCB, Baker RP, Eastaugh-Waring SJ, Bannister GC. Treatment of the young active patient with osteoarthritis of the hip. A five- to seven-year comparison of hybrid total hip arthroplasty and metal-on-metal resurfacing. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2006 May;88(5):592-600. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.88B5.17354. PMID: 16645103.
3: Baker RP, Pollard TCB, Eastaugh-Waring SJ, Bannister GC. A medium-term comparison of hybrid hip replacement and Birmingham hip resurfacing in active young patients. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2011 Feb;93(2):158-63. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.93B2.25625. PMID: 21282752.
4: Pollard TCB, Basu C, Ainsworth R, Lai W, Bannister GC.Is the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing worthwhile? Hip International 2003;13(1):25-28.
Trauma:
1: Abram SG, Pollard TCB, Andrade AJ. Inadequate ‘three-point’ proximal fixation predicts failure of the Gamma nail. Bone Joint J. 2013 Jun;95-B(6):825-30. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.95B6.31018. PMID: 23723280.
2: Lord BR, Pollard TCB, McAndrew AR. Injection of calcium phosphate cement in the percutaneous treatment of fractures of the lateral tibial plateau. Acta Orthop Belg. 2011 Aug;77(4):539-40. PMID: 21954766.
3: Theodorides AA, Pollard TC, Fishlock A, Mataliotakis GI, Kelley T, Thakar C, Willett KM, Giannoudis PV. Treatment of post-operative infections following proximal femoral fractures: our institutional experience. Injury. 2011 Dec;42 Suppl 5:S28-34. doi: 10.1016/S0020-1383(11)70130-9. PMID: 22196907.
4: Pollard TCB, Newman JE, Barlow NJ, Price JD, Willett KM. Deep wound infection after proximal femoral fracture: consequences and costs. J Hosp Infect. 2006 Jun;63(2):133-9. doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2006.01.015. Epub 2006 Apr 18. PMID: 16621145.
5: Davda K, Pollard TCB, Graham AJ. Delayed presentation of lateral femoral circumflex artery injury post cannulated hip screw surgery–a case report. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 2009 May;91(4):W3-5. doi: 10.1308/147870809X401001. PMID: 19416578; PMCID: PMC2749394.
Shoulder:
1: Harvie P, Pollard TCB, Chennagiri RJ, Carr AJ. The use of outcome scores in surgery of the shoulder. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2005 Feb;87(2):151-4. doi: 10.1302/0301-620x.87b2.15305. PMID: 15736732.
2: Gwilym SE, Watkins B, Cooper CD, Harvie P, Auplish S, Pollard TCB, Rees JL, Carr AJ. Genetic influences in the progression of tears of the rotator cuff. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2009 Jul;91(7):915-7. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.91B7.22353. PMID: 19567856.
3: Harvie P, Pollard TCB, Carr AJ. Calcific tendinitis: natural history and association with endocrine disorders. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2007 Mar-Apr;16(2):169-73. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2006.06.007. Epub 2006 Dec 22. PMID: 17188907.
4: Harvie P, Ostlere SJ, Teh J, McNally EG, Clipsham K, Burston BJ, Pollard TCB, Carr AJ. Genetic influences in the aetiology of tears of the rotator cuff. Sibling risk of a full-thickness tear. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2004 Jul;86(5):696-700. doi: 10.1302/0301-620x.86b5.14747. PMID: 15274266.
Infection in Orthopaedics:
1: Brown CN, Pollard TCB, Iyer S, Andrade AJ. Invasive group A streptococcal infection: an update on the epidemiology and orthopaedic management. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2010 Jun;92(6):763-9. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.92B6.23447. PMID: 20513870.
2: Bartlett GE, Pollard TCB, Bowker KE, Bannister GC. Effect of jewellery on surface bacterial counts of operating theatres. J Hosp Infect. 2002 Sep;52(1):68-70. doi: 10.1053/jhin.2002.1250. PMID: 12372329.
Covid pandemic:
- Zahra W, Dixon JW, Mirtorabi N, Rolton DJ,Tayton ER, Hale PC, Fisher WJ, Barnes RA, Tunstill SA, Iyer S, Pollard TCB. Safety evaluation of a strategy to restart elective orthopaedic surgery during the de-escalation phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bone Joint Open 2020;1-8:450–456.
Miscellaneous:
1: Pollard TCB, Sanghrajka AP, Willett KM. Response to paper by T Ibrahim, SM Ong, GJStC Taylor the new consent form: is it any better? Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2004; 86: 206-9: response 1. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 2004 Nov;86(6):465-6; author reply 467. doi: 10.1308/1478708041136. PMID: 15527592; PMCID: PMC1964290.
Book chapters:
Oxford handbook of Orthopaedics and Trauma. Oxford University Press, 2010. Contributing author to 12 chapters.
Hip Joint Restoration: Worldwide Advances in Arthroscopy, Arthroplasty, Osteotomy and Joint Preservation Surgery. Springer Science+Business Media LLC 2017. ISBN 978-1-4614-0693-8 ISBN 978-1-4614-0694-5 (eBook). DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-0694-5. Chapter: UK and European Experience with Hip Arthroscopy. DOI 978-1-4614-0694-5_88, © 2017.
