Knox Private Hospital surgeon Geoff Kohn performs peroral endoscopic myotomy

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Zoe Powell, Knox Leader
September 20, 2016


A KNOX Private Hospital surgeon is one of the first in Australia to use a procedure to help people who have long-term swallowing problems.

Peroral endoscopic myotomy uses “next-generation” technology to relieve tightness in the oesophagus so food can pass into the stomach. Read More...

Australia’s first POEM procedure teaching course - Report

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Photo: Dr Geoff Kohn with Dr Jeffrey Marks

On 11-12 December 2015, Dr Geoff Kohn and the Melbourne Upper GI Surgical Group hosted Australia’s first POEM (Peroral endoscopic myotomy) teaching course. Joining Dr Kohn as faculty for this course was Dr Jeffrey Marks an international POEM expert from Cleveland, Ohio in the USA, and Dr Robert Chen gave a lecture on a similar procedure called ESD (endoscopic submucosal dissection).

Twelve Australian surgeons and gastroenterologist came to the course to learn the POEM procedure from Drs Kohn, Marks and Chen. Read More...

Asian Pacific HPBA Congress

Dean Spilias has been attending the AP-HPBA Congress held in Melbourne from 27-30 September 2011. There have been some updates in pancreatic surgery, in particular the management of cystic disease of the pancreas.

Are there alternative medicine options for gallstones?

In response to a question on healthshare.com.au

For most people, surgery is the most reliable treatment for gallstones. There are, however, alternative treatments that are used on occasion. Read More...

What are the symptoms of GORD, and what should I do about them? Is my cough due to GORD?

In response to a question on healthshare.com.au

GORD, or Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease (sometimes called GERD for those who spell oesophagus without the ‘o’) is a condition which develops when the stomach contents rise into the oesophagus (the food pipe) and causes troublesome symptoms. The stomach contents are usually acidic, but not always so. Read More...

I have difficulty swallowing and have been diagnosed with achalasia. Are there any new treatments?

In response to a question on healthshare.com.au

Achalasia is one of the ineffective oesophageal motility disorders. Usually, the oesophagus (the food pipe) transmits food downwards by a sequence of controlled and well-timed contractions (called ‘peristalsis’). This is why most people can drink water through a straw while standing on their head (if they wanted to!). People with achalasia cannot, because the contractions of their oesophagus are absent. Read More...

Can my hernia be repaired with a “keyhole” operation?

In response to a question on healthshare.com.au

In very general terms, the answer is “yes”! All types of hernia can be repaired “laparoscopically”. During a laparoscopic (keyhole) operation, your surgeon makes a few small incisions. One allows the placement of a small camera inside, and the other incisions allow placement of narrow instruments inside to allow the performance of the operation. Read More...

I have gallbladder problems – what are my options?

In response to a question on healthshare.com.au

The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ that lies below the liver. One of the jobs of the liver is to make bile that passes down the bile duct to mix with food in the small intestine, and aid in digestion. Some of this bile is diverted to the gallbladder for storage. When food, particularly fatty food travel thought the gut, the gallbladder contracts in order to squeeze out some bile into the gut to further facilitate digestion. Read More...

Heartburn, heart attack or angina?

In response to a question on healthshare.com.au

Having pain in the chest may be a sign of a life-threatening medical emergency or the sign of something less urgent, but how do you tell? Read More...

Will losing weight reduce my snoring?

In response to a question on healthshare.com.au

Snoring doesn't go away completely with weight loss. However, sleep apnoea can improve significantly with weight loss, and sleep apnoea is one of the medical conditions associated with snoring.
Read More...