Meet Our Surgeons

Dr Roy Brancatisano MB BS FRACS

Dr Brancatisano has been a Fellow of the Australasian College of Surgeons (ACS) since 1993. He is also a member of the International Federation for theSurgery of Obesity (IFSO), the Obesity Surgery Society of Australia & New Zealand (OSSANZ) and a founding member of the Asia Pacific Bariatric Surgery Society (APBSS).

Dr Brancatisano has a special interest in surgery of the upper gastrointestinal tract, including cancer surgery. He is an expert in laparoscopic surgery, including cholecystectomy, anti-reflux surgery, hernia surgery and obesity surgery, and has performed more than 5,000 laparoscopic operations.

It is with this background and expertise that he became interested in obesity surgery, and has successfully performed many laparoscopic gastric banding operations. In caring for these patients and listening to their needs and experiences, it became obvious to him that patients are better able to achieve their goals of weight control and a healthier lifestyle when supported by a team of health professionals. This has led to the development of the Institute of Weight Control and the 'Circle of Care' Program.

Dr R Brancatisano trained in Sydney, Australia where he achieved his surgical qualifications and fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1993. He undertook further specialist training in upper gastrointestinal surgery as well as advanced laparoscopic surgery.

He travelled abroad to the United Kingdom where he was awarded the prestigious position of international fellow at Kings College Hospital in London and then Hepatobiliary Fellow at the Hammersmith Hospital in London.

Upon returning to Sydney, he took up the position of Senior lecturer in surgery at Sydney University and Westmead Hospital, where he is currently consultant surgeon. He also has appointments at private hospitals in north western Sydney including Castle Hill Hospital Norwest Private Hospital. He is committed to professional development, education and research.

Dr Brendan J Ryan  MB BS FRACS

 
Dr Ryan has a special interest in Laparoscopic surgery, in particular Gastric Banding as well as many operations such as Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy(Gallbladder), Hernia repairs, Appendicectomy, Nephrectomy & other Surgeries relating to Renal and Transplant surgery.  He believes key-hole surgery is a great advantage to the patient in terms of safe results and faster recovery.
 
A medical graduate of Monash University, Melbourne, Dr Ryan moved to Sydney in 2003, where he completed his Specialist training as a General & Transplant Surgeon at Westmead Hospital. After spending 2 years abroad in the National Transplant Unit in Dublin, Ireland, he returned to Sydney in 2006 to take up an appointment as a Consultant Surgeon at Westmead Hospital, where he specialises in Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Surgery, General & Laparoscopic Surgery and Dialysis Surgery.
 
Dr Ryan has been trained first-hand in the specialist field of Laparoscopic Gastric Banding by Dr Roy Brancatisano, Director of the Institute of Weight Control (IWC) and surgeon of over 2000 gastric band operations. Dr Ryan now works as an independent Surgeon of the Circle of Care in Sydney and is a strong supporter of the team approach to weight loss.
 
Dr Ryan currently performs his gastric banding procedure at Norwest Private Hospital in Baulkham Hills and Campbelltown Private Hospital. He is involved in continual education and quality review of surgery in this field. He is committed to safe surgical practices in patient care.

Professor James Toouli MBBS, FRACS

Our team of research fellows and research assistants are directed by Professor Jim Toouli who is recognized world wide for his surgical expertise and extensive research activities. He is Professor of Surgery at Flinders University in Adelaide and Co-Director of Circle of Care Adelaide.

Jim is a member of the original team who began performing bariatric surgery at Flinders in the 1980s. He has been responsible for training surgeons in bariatric and abdominal surgery nationally and internationally. His research in digestive diseases as well as obesity has attracted funding support from NH & MRC, other Government and semi-government organizations as well as the biomedical industry.

He has authored over 200 publications in peer reviewed journals, over 50 invited chapters and edited 6 surgical books. Currently he supervises a number of clinical and laboratory based research projects in collaboration with a number of scientists and supervises a number of PhD and other higher degree students.

Dr Lilian Kow

Lilian Kow is a senior consultant surgeon at the Flinders Medical Centre and Senior Lecturer at Flinders University of South Australia.. She has been involved in training surgeons in bariatric surgery nationally and internationally. Together with Professor Toouli, she introduced the Swedish Adjustable gastric band to Australia and is one of the leading investigators of Vagal Block therapy for the treatment of obesity.

She is a Council member of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity (IFSO) and the current President of the Obesity Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand. In conjunction with Professor Toouli, she started the Adelaide Bariatric Centre and is one of the founders of the National Circle of Care Clinics.

 Mr Jacob Chisholm

Jacob Chisholm is a consultant upper gastrointestinal/bariatric surgeon at Flinders Medical Centre having completed a fellowship in the field of bariatric surgery. He has developed a strong interest in the surgical management of obesity. His other areas of interest include gallstones, pancreatitis, reflux disease, gastric cancer and hernia repairs.

He has published research and has presented at both national and international meetings (including government forums) on the surgical management of obesity. He has also been a coinvestigator in international research projects relating to the surgical management of obesity. Jacob believes in providing a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of obesity. He also believes in providing the appropriate surgical solution for the individual whether that be gastric band, sleeve gastrectomy or laparoscopic gastric bypass.

DR SUE TAYLOR

Sue Taylor trained in Perth at Sir Charles Gairdner, Royal Perth and Fremantle hospitals from 1992 to 2001. After gaining Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2001, she continued to serve the public hospital system, participating in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and supervision.

In 2002, she spent 12 months working with Professor Sir Alfred Cuschieri at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, Scotland. She brings home broad experience in laparoscopic surgery and also in postgraduate and post-fellowship teaching skills.

Since then, she has been involved in setting up General Surgical and Multidisciplinary Bariatric Practices in Mount Lawley, Subiaco, and now Hollywood Private Hospital.

Prof. Jeffrey Hamdorf, MBBS, Ph.D, FRACS

Jeff is an Upper Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Surgeon with Circle of Care, Perth, based at Hollywood Private Hospital.

His special interests are in upper GI surgery including laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy for the management of morbid obesity, panreato-billiary & oesophago-gastric surgery, diagnostic and therapeutic laparoscopic anti reflux surgery and general surgery.   He established the Circle of Care Clinic, Perth which is regarded as a leader in the team approach to morbid obesity.

He has many contemporary research and training interests nationally and internationally. He has delivered many national and international presentations and published articles especially in the surgical literature on education.

He was the inaugural Professor of Medical Education, at The University of Western Australia, is the Director of CTEC, a world class skills training centre and is UWA’s Winthrop Professor of Surgical Education.

He is a founding Director of the Australian Institute of Weight Control.

He sometimes plays golf.