Dr Ali Diba

Specialist interests: Difficult airway problems and anaesthetic equipment

Dr Ali Diba qualified in Medicine from Southampton University in 1986. He completed his anaesthetic training as Senior Registrar at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals in London together with additional sub-specialty training  at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square. He has been a Consultant Anaesthetist at QVH since 1999.

Dr Diba was originally a burns anaesthetist looking after the intensive care and anaesthesia of patients with burns type injuries, however he now predominantly works with anaesthesia for maxillofacial surgery – including both orthognathic and major head and neck cancer surgery and reconstruction. He also routinely works with patients needing anaesthesia for upper limb surgery coming through the QVH hand trauma unit.

Dr Diba’s particular fields of expertise are in the management of patients with “difficult airways”  and the technique of Total Intravenous Anaesthesia; subjects that he teaches both in-house and at national meetings. At QVH he frequently hosts visiting anaesthetists wishing to gain additional experience in these fields.

Dr Diba is interested in anaesthetic equipment and remains, alongside Dr Andrew Davey, co-editor of Ward’s Anaesthetic Equipment. This is the standard UK tome on the subject; ­the latest edition of which was the winner of the 2012 British Medical Association Medical Book Awards for anaesthesia. He has acted as expert advisor to NICE and consulted for manufacturers of medical devices.

Ali’s non-academic interests include horseradish and sea urchins.