Dr. Dhan Thiruchelvam

Dr Dhan Thiruchelvam is a second generation Hunter Region doctor.

He is the youngest son of retired long time Maitland GP Dr T Thiruchelvam (Dr Chelvam) and the younger brother of ENT surgeon Dr Thya Thiruchelvam.

His family have been in the medical profession and assisting the health of the people of the Hunter region since the 1970’s.

He was locally educated at Maitland High School before gaining a highly competitive academic entry position to Sydney Grammar School. He then went on to train at Sydney University Medical School.

He has been a Consultant Surgeon for well over a decade with high volume clinical experience. He undertook significant national (Sydney and Melbourne) and international ( UK, USA, Japan) training with 3 separate highly competitive fellowship programs in Upper GI Surgery . He has a wealth of experience from working in quarternary referral centres as a consultant surgeon and dealing with the most difficult of cases. His case volume is in the thousands of both primary and revisional weight loss surgery and other Upper GI cases.

After many years of Consultant practice at St Vincent’s Melbourne he returned home to spend time with family and enjoy the warmer weather!

Below is a summary of his many academic and clinical achievements which put him amongst the top in his field in Upper GI and Bariatric surgery.

Education

Educational Institutions

Sydney University Medical School 1993 - 1998
Sydney Grammar School 1991 - 1992
Maitland High School 1987 - 1990

Tertiary Education

Sydney University Medical School
E Trenchard Miller Memorial Scholarship
James Aitken Scholarship

Employment History

Current Positions:

Director of Newcastle Weight Loss Surgery
Upper GI and Bariatric Surgeon Lingard Private
Upper GI and Bariatric Surgeon Newcastle Private

Other positions held

Consultant Surgeon Upper GI and HPB Unit St Vincent’s Melbourne.
Senior Lecturer Dept of Surgery , Uni Melbourne.
Fellow in Upper GI and HPB. Royal Infirmary Edinburgh UK.
Upper GI and HPB Fellow, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.
Upper GI/HPB Surgical Fellow ,Box Hill Hospital, Melbourne.
Principal Surgical Registrar ,Box Hill Hospital, Melbourne.
Honorary Lecturer in Surgery Monash University. Box Hill Hospital. Melbourne.

Advanced Surgical Training: General Surgery

Western Sydney Scheme

Teaching/Training

(a selection of many of his roles)

Reviewer : ANZ Journal of Surgery
Reviewer Obesity Surgery
Reviewer Medical Journal Australia
Reviewer Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery
Faculty Member of the Academy of Surgical Educators. RACS.
CLEAR( Critical Literature Evaluation and Research) Course Instructor 2010-RACS.
Former SET 1 RACS Surgical Supervisor St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.
Proctor for Apollo Endosurgery in Overstitich 2018
HMO Surgical Supervisor St Vincent’s Melbourne.
Former Member of Victorian Training Board subcommittee for RACS
NHMRC Peer Reviewer
ANZGOSA ( Australian and New Zealand Gastro Oesophageal Surgeons association Training Supervisor St Vincent’s Melbourne.
PhD Thesis Review Panel Member Uni Melb Department of Engineering: 2015
Member of University Department of Surgery St Vincent’s
Surgical Lead, Department of Surgery, St Vincent’s
Chair : Epworth Endoscopy Masterclass 13th Nov 2015.
Convenor/Chairman: Inaugural St Vincent’s Surgical Forum 2012 and 2013-15 St Vincent’s Hospital.
Shortlisted for the “Best Supervisor/Teacher-Consultant” by St Vincent’s 2011 Interns.

Further Degree

Diploma in Clinical Education, University of Edinburgh, 2011

Papers, Publications and Presentations

(a selection of some of the many papers and presentations that Dr Dhan Thiruchelvam has undertaken)

F. Leong, N. Garbin, C. DiNatali, A. Mohammadi, D. Thiruchelvam, D. Oetomo, and P. Valdastri, "Magnetic Surgical Instruments for Robotic Abdominal Surgery," IEEE Reviews in Biomedical Engineering (RBME), vol. 9, pp. 66-78, Jan 2016.
A. Mohammadi, D. Samsonas, F. Leong, Y. Tan, D. Thiruchelvam, P. Valdastri, and D. Oetomo, "Modelling and Control of Local Electromagnetic Actuation for Robotic-Assisted Surgical Devices," IEEE Transaction of Mechatronics (TMECH), 201722(6):2449-2460, Dec 2017.
F. Leong, A. Mohammadi, Y. Tan, D. Thiruchelvam, C. Y. Lai, P. Valdastri, and D. Oetomo, "Disturbance Rejection in Multi-DOF Local Magnetic Actuation for Robotic Abdominal Surgery", IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RAL), 2018. (Submitted and under review)
F. Leong, A. Mohammadi, Y. Tan, D. Thiruchelvam, P. Valdastri, and D. Oetomo, "Magnetic Interactions of Neighbouring Stator Sets in Multi DOF Local Electromagnetic Actuation for Robotic Abdominal Surgery," in Procs. of IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2017.
Acute Surgical Unit: The Australasian Experience. D Page, D Dooromeah, D Thiruchelvam. ANZ J of Surgery. Vol 84. Pgs 25-30. Jan 2014
Torsion of the gallbladder: a systematic review.Daniel J. Reilly, George Kalogeropoulos1, Dhan Thiruchelvam . HPB . Volume 14, Issue 10, pages 669–672, October 2012.
A Framework for Emergency Surgery in Victorian Public Health Services. Department of Health publication. Co author. 2012.
Florence Leong, Ching Ying, Alireza Mohammadi, Ying Tan, Dhan Thiruchelvam, Pietro Valdastri, Denny Oetomo Magnetic Interactions of Neighbouring Stator Sets in Multi DOF Local Electromagnetic Actuation for Robotic Abdominal Surgery Conference: 2017 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.
Experimentally Validated Modelling of Electromechanical Dynamics on Local Magnetic Actuation System for Abdominal Surgery. ACRA 2016. Australasian Conference on Robotics and Automation. Uni of Queensland . Dec5-7 2016.
A Novel Endoscopic Technique in Revisional Surgery for Complications of High Gastric Reduction Rajasagaram N, Tokhi A, Thiruchelvam D, Banting S.Hepatobiliary and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery Unit, St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne Poster Presentation ANZGOSA/OSSANZ 2015. Oct 8-11th 2015 Hamilton Island.
Portal Pyaemia with liver and cerebral abscesses Assosciated with portal vein thrombosis secondary to diverticulitis of the appendix Tokhi A., Rajasagaram N., Huynh F., Thiruchelvam D., Banting S, St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne Poster Presentation ANZGOSA/OSSANZ 2015. Oct 8-11th 2015 Hamilton Island.
S Flatman, J Darby, P McKelvie, P Stanley, D Thiruchelvam. A Case of Massive Gastrointestinal Haemorrhage. ANZ J Surg March 2010
Torsion of the Gallbladder. D Reilly, G Kalogeropolous, D Thiruchelvam. Journal of Surgical Case Reports. JSCR 2011; 3: 5
Acute surgical unit: The consultant experience Patrick J Stokes, Dean Page, Cristian Udovicich, Dhan Thiruchelvam. Australasian Medical Journal . 1/8/2016.
A.Newey, D.Thiruchelvam, R. Davies. Isolated occlusion due to Cystic Adventitial Disease of the Popliteal artery- Ultrasound diagnosis. Journal Of ASUM ( Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine) May 7 2004.
Robotic Upper GI Surgery in 2017: Hunter Surgical Society Meeting 4/3/17. HMRI. John Hunter Hospital.
Endoscopic and Robotic Treatment Options in GORD: Newcastle Oesophageal Week Workshop 11/2/17. John Hunter Hospital.
Achalasia: What are the current tools in treatment: Newcastle Oesophageal Week Workshop 11/2/17 John Hunter Hospital.
Local Magnetic Actuation for Robotic Surgery. ANZGOSA/SUGSS meeting. Double Bay Sydney 9/9/2016.
Evidence in Weight loss management in 2016. AGIRA ( Australian Gastrointestinal Research Alliance) HMRI , Newcastle 2/12/16.
Diabetes and Weight Loss Management Strategies. HPMI Day . HMRI 10/9/2016.
Introducing A New Robotic Procedure. Robotic Total Gastrectomy. St Vincent’s Surgical Forum 2016. 25/7/16.
From the Engineering Lab to the Patient. A/Prof Denny Oetomo, F Leong, D Thiruchelvam. St Vincent’s Surgical Forum . 26/7/16.
Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia: Evidence for Management. Melbourne Upper GI Surgical Society. 24/1//2014.
Simulation in Upper GI Surgery. St Vincents Surgical Forum. St Vincents 19/5/2014.
Evidence Based Reflux Management. Epworth Richmond GP Conference. 18/9/2013.
NOTES Surgery and POEM. St Vincent’s Surgical Forum 20/9/2013.
Poster Presentation RACS ACS 2012 KL Malaysia. Cavernous Haemangioma of the Adrenal. J.McKenzie, D Thiruchelvam.
Panel Discussion Member Bariatric Issues. Epworth Richmond Mens Health Day 1/6/2013.
Surgery for Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Tumours. Peter Mac Colorectal Meeting Sofitel. March 24th 2011.
ASC 2010 Perth. Cholecystostomy: When, Where and How? Presentation in HPB section.
Poster presentation: S Flatman, J Darby, P McKelvie, P Stanley, D Thiruchelvam. A Case of Massive Gastrointestinal Haemorrhage: An Important Consideration in Travellers, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Annual Scientific Congress, 5-9th May 2009, Brisbane.
A typical Reflux and the indications for surgery. Epworth Barrett’s and Reflux Symposium. Park Hyatt . 23/3/2012.
Human Gallbladder Cells used in the treatment of Diabetes. Peter Ryan Prize Meeting St Vincent’s Melbounre. 12/11/2011.
Free Paper Presentation. ASC 2010 Perth. Comparing CT and EUS in Oesophageal cancer. S Flatman, D Thiruchelvam, R Chen and R Cade. May 2010 Perth.
Endoscopic Management of post cholecystectomy biliary fistula. M. Hii, R Cade, D Thiruchelvam, S Banting. 20/11/10. Peter Ryan Surgical Prize Meeting. Education Centre St Vincent’s Hospital.
Human Gallbladder-derived islet progenitors for cell replacement therapy in diabetes. Dr Anand Hardikar ( Bernie O’Brien Institute) , D Thiruchelvam ( St V). Peter Ryan Surgical Prize Meeting. Education Centre St Vincent’s Hospital. 20/11/10.
The State of Play in Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for Cancer. Literature review and technique. Victorian General Surgery State Meeting Lorne 24/10/09. Poster Presentation.
O’Brien, R., Thiruchelvam, D. Fox, A. Van Dijk, J. (2008) Using live video links to operating theatres as a teaching tool for undergraduate medical students. Peer reviewed short presentation. 13 National Prevocational Medical Education Forum, November 9 – 12, 2008, Hobart, Australia.