Upper Gastrointestinal & Hepatobiliary Surgery, Royal North Shore Hospital

The unit is a very busy upper gastrointestinal and HPB surgical unit. Because of the heavy case-load we undertake a wide range of clinical research and development of new surgical techniques ranging from complex surgical resections to laparoscopic surgical procedures. All cases are reviewed at a Friday morning meeting and opportunity for case reporting and clinical studies is frequently discussed.

The Unit has established a tissue bank of fresh tumour tissue which has been studied in a variety of projects which have utilized immuno-histochemistry, quantitative RT PCR techniques and proteomics using SELDI TOF. These techniques are available to students wishing to undertake a higher degree. In the past we have explored the importance of the urokinase like plasminogen activator system and HER-2 receptor in pancreatic cancer and the influence of the expression of the various proteins on outcome of these patients. This work is undertaken in conjunction with the Kolling Institute which is an institute of the University of Sydney and is situated in the grounds of Royal North Shore hospital.

Our unit has access to one of the few body composition units that can measure detailed total body protein, potassium, water and fat which allows the study of nutritional outcomes. These measures make important endpoints to measure success on small groups of patients undergoing surgical treatment for gastrointestinal disorders. These measures are useful for the week to week assessment patients recovering from surgery and for patients undergoing adjuvant therapies. It is particularly important for patients on home parenteral nutrition. This is a particularly useful tool for research programs assessing outcome of surgery.

Currently, our members include:

We are supported by the Cancer Surgery Research Foundation and the Cancer Council of NSW and NSW Cancer Institute.

Enquiries about research and clinical issues can be directed to .