General Surgery
The Department of Surgery has a strong research focus and a productive publication output, and constantly strives to improve patient outcomes. The University Department of Surgery collaborates with local and global organisations to ensure patients receive best surgical outcomes. The department strives to embrace new technologies and latest surgical research, promoting and encouraging students to undertake PhD, Masters of Surgery and Honours programs which are supervised by department academics.
Research Areas
Master of Surgical Research
This two year course of study leads to a Masters by Research degree, with the students drawn from qualified medical practitioners, surgeons in training and fellowship-trained surgeons. The program has a primary function in providing doctors with a structured training and experience in independent research, specifically in the surgical specialty.
Collaborating Organisations
Research Team
Research Staff
- Alfred Deakin Professor David Watters AM OBE ChM FRCSEd FRACS - General Surgeon, Academic
- Professor Glenn Guest MBBS FRACS BSc (Hons) - General Surgeon, Academic
- Associate Professor Douglas Stupart MBChB PhD FCS (SA) FRACS - General Surgeon, Academic
- Dr Sonal Nagra MBBS MMedSurg FRACS - Director of General Surgery, Academic
- Associate Professor Saleh Abbas - Hon, Clinical Associate Professor
- Ms Stephanie Kempton BBSc(Hons) MPsych(Neuro) CCN MAPS - Trauma Audit Coordinator
- Mrs Anne Vandewater AdvDip(Mgt) CPM AAPM DipBus - Executive Assistant to the Chair of Surgery
PhD Students
- Dr Wendy Crebbin, PhD by Research, Deakin University: Teaching Junior Doctors: How experts think: What impact does it have?
- Dr Amelia McGuinnes, PhD by Research, Deakin University: Effect of bowel prep for colonoscopy on intestinal microbiota
Master of Surgical Research Candidates
- Dr Louis Scarrold, Characterising the impact of sarcopenia on Colorectal Surgical Outcomes
- Dr Hamish Morgan, Geelong Ventral Hernia Repair Audit
- Dr Anh Vu, Implementation of robotic-assisted surgery within a regional centre in Australia: has this changed our practice and what can we expect moving
- Dr Henry Drysdale, The Impact of COVID-19 on General Surgery in Geelong
- Dr John Kefalianos, An evaluation of the Australia and New Zealand Emergency Laparotomy Audit (ANZELA)
- Dr Pranav Divakaran, What is the Significance of Side Branch IPMN? A regional Australian Experience
Research News
General Surgery takes out 2020 Barwon Best Care Award for COVID-19 regional response
The response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic required conserving capacity and resources to avoid the health sector being overwhelmed.
To assess Barwon Health’s general surgery response and outcomes, data was collected to compare the first 7 weeks of service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic (30 March to 17 May 2020) to the corresponding 7 weeks in 2019 (1 April 2019 to 19 May 2019). The study found that:
- Elective general surgery decreased by 45.9% but an essential service was maintained by substantially increasing our public in private operating to perform 81 cases.
- Despite a 30% decrease in emergency department presentations, general surgery admissions decreased only 6.1% while emergency operations increased 13.9%.
- Telehealth was used to conduct 81.3% of outpatient appointments and 61.8% of pre‐operative anaesthetic reviews.
- No significant differences were found for overall surgical outcomes, including appendicectomy and laparotomy.
- Operative exposure for trainees was maintained.
These results show that Geelong was able to provide a safe and effective general surgery service during the first 7 weeks of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. There are some valuable lessons which could be adopted elsewhere in the event of a surge or second wave of cases.
Project Team: Prof Glenn Guest, Mr Simon Crowley, Dr Henry Drysdale, Dr Will Anderson, Dr Pia Bernardi, Dr Tess Asgill, Dr Elliot Bowden, Dr Jesse Cole, Dr Jordy Dangen, Dr Steve Lau, Dr Ellen McMahon, Dr Yit Leang, Dr Eileen Mary Moore, Mr Sonal Nagra, Dr Sally Ooi, Dr Bushra Othman, Dr Matthew Shears, Dr Sam Pellegrino, A/Prof Douglas Stupart, Dr Kirk Underwood, Prof David Watters.
Featured Publications
Post-operative cognitive dysfunction: An exploration of the inflammatory hypothesis and novel therapies. [NOTE – Abstract only; Barwon Health staff can request full text from Library]. Skvarc DR, Berk M, Byrne LK, Dean OM, Dodd S, Lewis M, Marriott A, Moore EM, Morris G, Page RS, et al. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2018;84: 116-133. |
Global surgery 2030: Evidence and solutions for achieving health, welfare, and economic development. Meara JG, Leather AJM, Hagander L, Alkire BC, Alonso N, Ameh EA, Bickler SW, Conteh L, Dare AJ, Davies J, et al. The Lancet. 2015;386(9993): 569-624. |
Global cancer surgery: Delivering safe, affordable, and timely cancer surgery. [NOTE - Full text for Barwon Health staff; public can view abstract]. Sullivan R, Alatise OI, Anderson BO, Audisio R, Autier P, Aggarwal A, Balch C, Brennan MF, Dare A, D'Cruz A, et al. The Lancet Oncology. 2015;16(11): 1193-1224. |
Prevalence of bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment in surgery in Australasia. Crebbin W, Campbell G, Hillis DA, Watters DA. ANZ J Surg. 2015;85: 905-909. |
Perioperative mortality rate (POMR): A global indicator of access to safe surgery and anaesthesia. [NOTE - Full text for Barwon Health staff; public can view abstract]. Watters DA, Hollands MJ, Gruen RL, Maoate K, Perndt H, McDougall RJ, Morriss WW, Tangi V, Casey KM, McQueen KA. World J Surg. 2014;39(4): 856-864. |
Among vitamin B12 deficient older people, high folate levels are associated with worse cognitive function: Combined data from three cohorts. [NOTE – Abstract only; Barwon Health staff can request full text from Library]. Moore EM, Ames D, Mander AG, Carne RP, Brodaty H, Woodward MC, Boundy K, Ellis KA, Bush AI, Faux NG, et al. J Alzheimer's Dis. 2014;39(3): 661-668. |
A systematic review of the management and outcome of toxic epidermal necrolysis treated in burns centres. [NOTE - Full text for Barwon Health staff; public can view abstract]. Mahar PD, Wasiak J, Hii B, Cleland H, Watters DA, Gin D, Spinks AB. Burns. 2014;40(7): 1245-1254. |
Increased risk of cognitive impairment in patients with diabetes is associated with metformin. Moore EM, Mander AG, Ames D, Kotowicz MA, Carne RP, Brodaty H, Woodward M, Boundy K, Ellis KA, Bush AI, et al. Diabetes Care. 2013;36(10): 2981-2987. |
Cognitive impairment and vitamin B12: A review. Moore E, Mander A, Ames D, Carne R, Sanders K, Watters DA. [NOTE - Full text for Barwon Health staff; public can view abstract]. International Psychogeriatrics. 2012;24(4): 541-556. |
Cumulative sum techniques for surgeons: A brief review. [NOTE - Full text for Barwon Health staff; public can view abstract]. Yap C, Colson ME, Watters DA. ANZ J Surg. 2007;77(7): 583-586. |
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To find out about Clinical Trials currently underway at Barwon Health, click here.
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Clinical trials require ongoing investment and there are several ways to support this amazing work.
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To donate now or for more information and further discuss your support, please contact the Barwon Health Foundation.
Last Modified: Thursday, 17 August 2023
Research Leads
Alfred Deakin Professor David Watters AM OBE ChM FRCSEd FRACS
General Surgeon, Academic
Prof Glenn Guest MBBS FRACS BSc(Hons)
General Surgeon, Academic
Associate Prof Douglas Stupart MBChB FCS(SA) PhD FRACS
General Surgeon, Academic
Dr Sonal Nagra MBBS MMedSurg FRACS
Director of General Surgery, Academic
University Hospital Geelong
Department of Surgery
P.O. Box 281
Geelong VIC 3220
(03) 4215 2001
Surgical Research Website
Related Links