Mr Alvin Cham is a specialist Breast, Endocrine and Laparoscopic surgeon who is known for his commitment to minimally invasive surgery and outstanding patient care.

Mr Cham specialises in a wide range of procedures, including breast cancer surgery, thyroid surgery, laparoscopic intra-abdominal procedures and complex hernia operations.

He treats patients at several locations throughout Melbourne, including; John Fawkner Private Hospital, Epworth Hospital (East Melbourne and Richmond), Western Health (Footscray and Sunshine), and Bacchus Marsh Hospital. Mr Cham is also on the roster for patients requiring emergency general surgery at these hospitals.

Dr Brooke Sawyer is a graduate of the University of Queensland and the radiology program of The Western Hospital in Melbourne.She is Fellowship trained in cross-sectional imaging at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

 

Craig Lynch is a colorectal surgeon at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia. He completed his General Surgical Fellowship in New Zealand, with post-fellowship training in Colorectal Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, and St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne. He holds a Masters degree in surgery and has published over 70 peer-reviewed manuscripts. He is a Fellow of the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand and International Fellow of the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons.

He has extensive minimally invasive surgical experience with both laparoscopic and robotic surgery, being the first to perform robotic colorectal surgery in Australasia in 2009. While his current clinical practice also includes the management of patients with advanced pelvic cancer and peritoneal carcinomatosis, he tries to find the time to fit in as many robotic procedures as possible.

Mr David Wardill is a general and colorectal surgeon who consults and operates at Epworth Geelong. His main interests are in open, laparoscopic and robotic approaches to groin and abdominal wall hernias, including complex and redo incisional hernias. David is also involved with teaching medical students and junior medical doctors as part of his role on the colorectal surgical unit at University Hospital Geelong.

Darrin is a General surgeon having trained in Brisbane and Melbourne in areas including gastrointestinal cancer surgery, keyhole surgery and hernia surgery.

Since completing his training in 2005 he has furthered his training in keyhole cancer surgery and gastric banding surgery.

Medical School: University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital clinical school.

Qualifications: Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery M.B.B.S., (1995, University of Melbourne)

Post Graduate: FRACS General Surgery (2005)

Speciality: General Surgery, Laparoscopic Surgery & Obesity Surgery.

Associate Professor Gary Crosthwaite is the Director of the General Surgery and Gastroenterology Clinical Institute at Epworth HealthCare.

As an Upper GI Surgeon with extensive experience in surgical oncology and laparoscopic surgery including oesophagogastrectomy, hiatus hernia repair, achalasia surgery and hernia surgery, he has a keen interest in evolving surgical techniques and developments.

He also has significant experience of PEOM for Achalasia and currently undertakes this procedure at Epworth.

James G. Bittner IV, MD, FACS graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Cincinnati, Ohio and went on to complete general surgery residency and a surgical education research fellowship at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia. Dr. Bittner then completed an Advanced GI Minimally Invasive Surgery and Bariatric Surgery fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Recently, he served as Assistant Professor of Surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia as well as founding Director of the VCU Comprehensive Hernia Center among other leadership roles. Dr. Bittner will be transitioning to Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at University of Connecticut School of Medicine and Quinnipiac University Frank H. Netter School of Medicine as well as Director of Robotic Surgery and Co-Director of the Advanced GI Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

Dr. Bittner has clinical interest and expertise in patient-centered care including advanced minimally invasive and robotic-assisted GI and benign foregut procedures, primary and revisional bariatric operations, and all types of hernia repair and complex abdominal wall reconstruction techniques. His research interests include clinical outcomes, clinical trials involving technology and/or mesh, and surgical education teaching modalities and curricula.

Dr Karin Jones, MBBS FANZCA FFPANZCA Post Grad Dip. Medicine (Pain Management)

Karin studied Medicine at Melbourne University. Her clinical training was undertaken at The Royal Melbourne Hospital where she specialised in Anaesthetics and completed a fellowship year at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Since returning to Melbourne she has worked at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and in private practice as a consultant for more than 10 years before her fascination with Pain Medicine led her to further study in this area.

In 2012 she completed speciality training in Pain Medicine, and in addition to her anaesthetic practice works in Acute and Chronic Pain Management at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The Royal Women’s Hospital and as a resource to her colleagues at Parkville Anaesthesia when dealing with patients with complex pain. Karin also works on the Pain Service at Epworth Richmond.

Dr Keith Towsey is a General Surgeon with an interest in complex abdominal wall hernias and burn surgery.

After he graduated with Honours in Medicine, Dr Towsey completed his residency at the Royal Brisbane Hospital before serving in the regular Army as a Medical Officer.

Dr Towsey transferred to the Army Reserve in 2004 in order to complete his surgical training and achieved his surgical fellowship in 2008. The following year he completed post-fellowship training in Burns and Trauma.

As an active Army Reserve surgeon, Dr Towsey has been deployed to numerous theatres of operations including Indonesia, Afghanistan and Western Samoa.

Dr Towsey currently has a public appointment at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital as a Burns Specialist and at the Redcliffe Hospital as a visiting General Surgeon. In addition he is a member of the Panel of Clinical Experts of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for the review of medical prosthetic products.

Dr Towsey has extensive experience in hernia repairs (both open and laparoscopic) and has introduced to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital laparoscopic assisted component separation for the closure of large ventral hernias.

Dr Towsey operates and consults privately at St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital and North West Private Hospital.

Associate Professor Luis Prado MBBS FRACMA FRACGP FACHE FCHSM FAAQHC FISQua FACMQ Grad Dip Sp Med, is the Executive Director Academic and Medical Services and Chief Medical Officer of Epworth HealthCare. He is a specialist in medical administration and clinical governance, and a censor and board director of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators. He is also a practicing specialist general practitioner with a special interest in sports medicine.

A/Professor Prado is the first Australian to hold Fellowships, by examination, of both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American College of Medical Quality. He also holds Fellowships of the Australian College of Health Service Management, the Australian Association of Quality in Health care and the International Society of Quality in Healthcare.

Professor Peter Danne’s Surgical training was undertaken at the University of Melbourne and St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne. Post-Graduate Trauma Surgical Fellowship was completed at the Washington Hospital Center, Washington D.C, with further surgical training in the United Kingdom in both upper Gastrointestinal and Colorectal Surgery and Endoscopy.

Prof. Danne has extensive experience in a wide range of General Surgery and Endoscopy, through his surgery both in Albury Wodonga as a Regional Consultant Surgeon, and in Melbourne for the last 18 years. Currently, his surgical field is focused particularly on short stay and day stay surgery and endoscopy, based at Epworth Hospital, Richmond. He was one of the first Australian surgeons trained in laparoscopic surgery (in 1991).

Prof. Danne established the Surgical Trauma Service at Royal Melbourne Hospital from 1998 to 2003 and was a Senior Consultant Surgeon in the RMH Colorectal Surgical Unit from 1998 to 2008. He was instrumental in establishing the principal two educational programmes in Major Trauma for surgeons – the EMST and DSTC courses through the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Mr Philip Smart is a Specialist Colorectal surgeon. He studied Medicine at the University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital Clinical School, graduating in 1999. He completed surgical training at Royal Melbourne Hospital, obtaining a Fellowship in General Surgery in 2009. He was appointed as a Visiting Medical Officer at Royal Melbourne, Royal Women's and Austin Health in General Surgery. He then completed 3 years of subspecialist training in Colon and Rectal surgery, including a Clinical Fellowship in 2013 at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic in Ohio USA, one of the leading colorectal surgery units in the world.

Philip completed a Doctor of Medical Science degree (D.Med.Sci) at the University of Melbourne under the supervision of Professor A. Heriot and A/Prof J. Mackay. In addition, he holds a degree in Clinical Research Methods through Monash University.

He completed Robotic Surgery Training at the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, and Methodist Hospital, Texas.

Philip is currently the Head of Surgery at The Surgery Centre, Austin Health and holds public hospital appointments at both Austin and Eastern Health. Philip Smart is a Specialist Colorectal surgeon. He studied Medicine at the University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital Clinical School, graduating in 1999. He completed surgical training at Royal Melbourne Hospital, obtaining a Fellowship in General Surgery in 2009. He was appointed as a Visiting Medical Officer at Royal Melbourne, Royal Women's and Austin Health in General Surgery. He then completed 3 years of subspecialist training in Colon and Rectal surgery, including a Clinical Fellowship in 2013 at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic in Ohio USA, one of the leading colorectal surgery units in the world.

He completed a Doctor of Medical Science degree (D.Med.Sci) at the University of Melbourne under the supervision of Professor A. Heriot and A/Prof J. Mackay. In addition, he holds a degree in Clinical Research Methods through Monash University.

He completed Robotic Surgery Training at the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, and Methodist Hospital, Texas.

Philip is currently the Head of Surgery at The Surgery Centre, Austin Health and holds public hospital appointments at both Austin and Eastern Health.

Mr Jacobs is a general surgeon with degrees in Science and Medicine. He attended the University of Melbourne, trained in surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and then worked in Sydney and London after gaining fellowship of the RACS, developing special expertise and further training in gastrointestinal surgery and hernia repair. He has a particular interest in diagnostic and interventional endoscopy (gastroscopy and colonoscopy), laparoscopy (key hole surgery), the management of gastric cancer and reflux disease. Additionally he has extensive experience in the treatment of abdominal wall hernias, including day case, local anaesthetic surgery for groin hernias as well as minimally invasive and robotic techniques for hernia repair. Furthermore he performs abdominal wall reconstruction for multiple recurrent hernias and trains other surgeons in complex incisional hernia repair. Mr Jacobs is a founding member of ANZ Hernia Society and active in the international hernia community.

Mr Satish Warrier is a colorectal surgeon who works at Epworth Healthcare, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Alfred Hospitals. He is the current chair of the Victorian general surgical training board, and former chair of the Research working party. Apart from his obvious interest in locally advanced colorectal cancer and peritoneal cancers Satish has played an important role in the adoption of new technologies into Victoria. He leads the transanal TME program at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, is part of the Austrlaasian teaching faculty and proctorship group, and performed the first taTME and first robotic tatTME in Victoria.

Satish has also performed the first minimally invasive IORT in the world. He is a high volume robotic surgeon and has completed and proctored many colorectal and general surgical robotic procedures including hernias. He maintains a strong research interest and has published well over 60 peer reviewed publications and has presented widely.

Dr Su Mei Hoh completed her General Surgical training in 2017. Graduating from the University of Melbourne she completed her SET training at Western Health and is currently the General Surgical Fellow at Epworth Geelong.

She hopes to pursue her subspecialty training in colorectal surgery. She is interested in open, laparoscopic and robotic colorectal and hernia surgery. She is also currently completing her Master of Public Health with a focus on global surgery and health systems design, evaluation and management.