About the Discipline

University of Adelaide Discipline of Surgery

The University of Adelaide Discipline of Surgery has a presence within the Royal Adelaide Hospital and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, both major teaching hospitals of the University of Adelaide.  In addition, it has a presence at the Lyell McEwin Health Service, a smaller peripheral hospital, as well as representation in a number of rural centres including Mt Gambier, Whyalla, Port Lincoln, Port Augusta and Port Pirie.

This collection of hospitals provides a mix of rural and major city hospital teaching as well as the opportunity to allow easy referral of patients between appropriate centres.  The Discipline has had as its major area of interest general surgery, in particular upper gastrointestinal surgery, hepatobiliary surgery and oncological surgery. 

Research laboratories are located at both the Royal Adelaide Hospital and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital campuses, with small animal facilities available within the Royal Adelaide Hospital, and large and small animal facilities at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital site. 

Royal Adelaide Hospital

The University Discipline at the Royal Adelaide Hospital is multifaceted with strong interests in clinical care of patients, clinical research through clinical trials, and basic science research, which is funded predominantly by grants from bodies such as the Anti-Cancer Foundation and the National Health and Medical Research Council. Because of its international reputation in the field of upper gastrointestinal disease, the Department of Surgery at the Royal Adelaide Hospital has been particularly successful in the acquisition of such grants over the last few years.

The Discipline conducts randomised controlled trials looking at various aspects of surgical treatment of gastro oesophageal reflux disease. 

The international reputation of the Discipline is attested to by invitations to its members to speak at international meetings, invitations for visiting professorships to prestigious international departments, and the fact that we receive of the order of 15-20 applications each year from overseas doctors wishing to come and spend a year or two working in our department. 

The individual interests of members of the Discipline are listed elsewhere on this web site. 

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital

The Discipline of Surgery at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital has access to excellent basic science laboratories, as well as a very busy and well-equipped Animal House.   The Discipline is responsible for oversight of all surgical services within The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and currently controls a $40 million budget annually to deliver surgery at The Queen Elizabeth site.

In addition to research interests of colonic disease, laparoscopic surgery and minimally invasive tumour destruction by electrolytic techniques and a strong interest in wound healing, there has also been a major research interest in the delivery of seamless surgical care to the community. 

There are now full-time or part-time academic staff in the Departments of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery, Breast Endocrine Surgery, Colorectal Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Urology, Otorhinolaryngology, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics and Vascular Surgery.  With this increased emphasis on academic staff, there has been a substantial rise in the research output and the development of novel teaching techniques, particularly in the area of day surgery and rural surgery on behalf of the University of Adelaide.