Our Team

Surgeons

Paul O'Brien

Professor Paul O’Brien Is a world leader in the LAP BAND procedure. He was one of its originators, having been involved in its design since 1991 and placing the first LAP BAND in Australia in 1994. He is the Head of the Centre for Bariatric Surgery. He is also the Director of the Centre for Obesity Research and Education (CORE), a major research centre within Monash University in Melbourne and he is the National Medical Director at the American Institute for Gastric Banding (AIGB), in Dallas, Texas. Through CBS and CORE, he and his associates have published more research studies and provided more post-graduating teaching on the LAP BAND than any other group in the world.

Stewart Skinner MBBS (Honours), FRACS PhD

is a Senior Lecturer in the Monash University Department of Surgery, Alfred Hospital.

He currently has appointments as a Visiting Surgeon at The Alfred, Sandringham and Frankston Hospitals. Private hospital appointments are at Cabrini, the Avenue and Peninsula Private Hospitals.

His main area of interest is gastrointestinal surgery. He undertook post graduate training in colorectal surgery at The Royal London and St Marks Hospitals, London in 1995 - 1997. Mr Skinner has been a member of the Centre for Bariatic Surgery since 1998 and has been performing the Lap Band operation since then.

Wendy Brown MBBS (Honours) PhD FRACS

is a General Surgeon with an interest in Laparoscopic and Upper gastrointestinal Surgery.

She graduated in 1992 from Monash UNiversity (First in Class) and then wet on to complete her General Surgical training through the Alfred Hospital. As part of her surgical training she completed a PhD in the prevention of colon cancer under the supervision of Professor Paul O'Brien.

After completing her General Surgical training at the end of 2001, she completed a fellowship year in Laparoscopic and Upper GI surgery at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. Since returning to Melbourne in 2003 she has had an appointment at the Alfred Hospital as a consultant General and Trauma Surgeon as well as position at Monash University as a Senior Lecturer in Surgery.

Stephen Blamey MBBS (Honours) FRACS FACS

is Head of Gastrointestinal Surgery at Monash Medical Centre.

He has long term research and clinical interest in all areas of gastrointestinal surgery in particular laparoscopic surgery endoscopy upper GI and colorectal surgery.

He has undertaken major development wrk in the area of laparoscopic anti reflux surgery. he is a memeber of the Obesity Society of Australia and new Zealand and the International Hepatica Pancreatic Obliliary Association.

Dr Blamey is chair of he Medical Services Advisory committee, a Federal ministerial committee that advises the Minister of Health on the introduction of new technologies to the Medicare and the Public Health Sector.

Gary Crosthwaite MBBS, FRACS

is a founding member of the Centre for Bariatric Surgery.

He is a Senior Fellow of the University Department of Surgery at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and is also a Senior Upper Gastrointestinal and Laparoscopic Surgeon at The Royal melbourne Hospital.

His interests and expertise are in bariatic and antireflux surgery, advanced laparoscpoy, oesophagogastric suregery as well as surgical oncology. He is the Founder of the Melbourne Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons Group and a Member of the Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand. He is also a member of the European Association of Endoscopic Surgeons. he has published on laparoscopic surgery in international journals ad is actively involved in surgical training.

Andrew Smith

Dr Andrew Smith is a specialist in laparoscopic surgery for the stomach and oesophagus. He trained through the Monash University, graduating with honours in 1987. Surgical training was then completed in 1995 under Professor O'Brien at the Alfred Hospital. Thereafter, several years of experience as a specialist surgeon were gained in Australia and the UK. For the past 8 years he has been in surgical practice at The Alfred Hospital, The Avenue Hospital, Cabrini Hospital, and is in the surgical team of the Centre for Bariatric Surgery. Andrew is married with primary school aged children, and enjoys interacting with patients, operating, and catching barramundi.