Mr Nikolaos Chatzizacharias is a Consultant Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) and Liver Transplant Surgeon at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Athens Medical School in Greece and holds a PhD from the same institution. In addition to his NHS commitments, Mr Chatzizacharias has an honorary contract with the University of Birmingham School of Medical and Dental Science, where he serves as an Associate Clinical Professor. He is an active member of several national and international medical societies, including the European-African and International HPB Associations.
Mr Chatzizacharias began his surgical career by completing his junior surgical training in Oxford, where he was first introduced to HPB and transplant surgery. His dedication and interest in the field led him to pursue further academic and clinical experience, securing a Higher Surgical Training post at the University of Cambridge. Following the completion of his training in the Eastern Deanery, he was awarded a competitive and prestigious HPB Fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin, USA, an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited programme. This fellowship provided him with advanced training in HPB surgery, focusing on both complex and minimally invasive procedures.
In 2017, Mr Chatzizacharias returned to the UK to take up his current consultant role in the HPB and Liver Transplant Unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. He has since established himself as a leading expert in the treatment of conditions affecting the liver, pancreas, and biliary tract, both benign and malignant. His clinical practice includes performing open and minimally invasive surgeries, utilising both laparoscopic and robotic techniques to achieve optimal outcomes for his patients. His primary area of specialist interest is the management of locally advanced pancreatic cancer, a field in which he has developed significant expertise.
Since his appointment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Mr Chatzizacharias has been instrumental in developing and leading the hospital’s locally advanced pancreatic cancer programme. This programme is now the largest in the UK and one of the largest globally, managing over 100 patients annually. The programme’s multidisciplinary approach involves systemic treatments, radiotherapy, and complex surgeries, often requiring venous and arterial resections. These surgeries are some of the most technically challenging, highlighting his surgical skill and leadership in the field.
In addition to his clinical work, Mr Chatzizacharias remains actively involved in research. He holds a PhD in pancreatic cancer and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals. His research contributions include numerous presentations at national and international conferences. He is the principal investigator of the DISSECT trial, which investigates the role of periadventitial dissection in improving surgical margins in resectable pancreatic cancer. He is also involved in several other prospective and retrospective studies, contributing to the advancement of HPB surgical techniques and outcomes.
As an educator, Mr Chatzizacharias is dedicated to training the next generation of surgeons and medical professionals. He serves as an educational supervisor for final-year medical students and is also a supervisor for the MSci intercalated programme at the University of Birmingham Medical School. His commitment to education and research ensures that he remains at the forefront of advancements in HPB surgery, while his clinical practice continues to improve the lives of patients with complex liver, pancreas, and biliary tract conditions.
