Racs Post Op Podcast

While most of us have been impacted in some way from the COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis has also exposed the health vulnerabilities of Indigenous people. Deputy Chair of the Foundation for Surgery and member of the Indigenous Health Committee, Dr Ruth Mitchell, says an important part of our response with tackling the pandemic is addressing inequalities of health outcomes.

Junior doctor and Wiradjuri woman Dr Claudia Paul is passionate about Indigenous health and opportunities for Indigenous medical students and junior doctors. Dr Paul is only the third Australian Aboriginal woman to be awarded a Rhodes Scholarship. With welcome the support from Foundation of Surgery, she's currently studying a PhD at Oxford University. In this episode, she says would like to see surgical care more equitable to all Australians, including better accessibility and health care outcomes to Indigenous Australians. If you would like to learn more about the studies mentioned, we’ve included a list of references below: Secombe P, Brown A, McAnulty G, Pilcher D. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients requiring critical care: characteristics, resource use, and outcomes. Crit Care Resusc. 2019. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85071617883&partnerID=8YFLogxK Bureau of Health Information. Patient Perspectives – Hospital care for Aboriginal people. Sydney (NSW); BHI; 2016.  Peiris D, Brow

The RACS Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool – often referred to its acronym, MALT – is a system designed to log procedures electronically. Easily accessible from a web-based device, MALT, is provided to Trainees, international medical graduates, RACS Fellows, and registered JDocs. Bariatric surgeon Dr John Treacy explains how he and his colleagues at the Royal Darwin Hospital have participated in an audit using MALT – which has provided some encouraging findings. Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool: https://www.surgeons.org/research-audit/morbidity-audits/morbidity-audit-and-logbook-tool

Without doubt, the pandemic we're facing is disrupting much of what we do, where we go and how we travel. The impact on the economy will be huge, which has led the federal government to announce a range of initiatives for businesses who are on the front line of this unprecedented crisis. To help understand the effect the coronavirus is having on the global economy we hear from Simon Farmer, managing director of Walshs Financial Planning. He's joined by Partner, Hugh Walsh, who details the federal government's cash flow assistance for businesses and other packages to assist medical practices.

Associate Professor Payal Mukherjee is completing a PhD in new technologies in ear surgery. As one of few females studying technology, she's pushing for greater female participation in STEM disciplines – that is, Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics.  Assoc. Prof. Mukherjee is an Ear, Nose, Throat Surgeon with a special interest in ear surgery.  She's Deputy Chair of the RACS State Committee of New South Wales and an Associate Professor of Surgery at The University of Sydney. And, she was a finalist in the 2019 New South Wales Premier's Woman of the Year Award. In this episode Assoc. Prof. Mukherjee explains why she chose surgery as a vocation and how rewarding it's been for her.

Major changes to the rules covering income protection insurance have been proposed by APRA, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. Michael Waycott, a Director of the Bongiorno Group, discusses what the changes mean and what you can do before the new policies take effect on 1 April this year.

Sydney vascular surgeon Dr John Swinnen OAM has risked his life treating hundreds of gunshot wounds, bomb blast injuries and performed countless operations not often seen in developed countries like ours. Dr Swinnen's voluntary work with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has taken him to the world's most dangerous regions, including Eastern Congo, the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, Yemen and Gaza. He discusses the kinds of operations he performs in these combat zones, and why he's continued to volunteer his time for one or two months every year for the last decade.

Since 1992, RACS Councillor Dr Kerin Fielding has lived and worked in the NSW Riverina city of Wagga Wagga. As an orthopaedic surgeon practicing in a regional part of the Australia, she's cognisant how health outcomes for people in rural areas are impacted by the lack of facilities and medical professionals. Using her own experience as an example, she'd like everyone to know how country areas are uniquely rewarding for surgeons and their careers, as well as being great places to live.

Modern medical treatments can do so much to prolong life. But at what point should surgeons hold back, despite a conviction that treatment will benefit the patient? Palliative medicine specialist Dr Will Cairns from Queensland Health in Townsville brings decades of experience to the issue. His message: look beyond your expertise to the wishes of patients. And that means conversations.

Dr Katrina Hutchison – Gender biases can be so subtle that often the behaviour is not obvious to victims or offenders alike. However, the consequences can be very real and, in surgery, quite devastating. Dr Katrina Hutchison is a Macquarie University Research Fellow in the Department of Philosophy; her current project focuses on gender biases in surgery and their impact on both surgeons and patients. Systemic gender biases in the development, testing and approval of medical devices can have debilitating effects on patients. Dr Katrina Hutchison, from a paper she co-authored, examines two cases: hip prostheses and tissue repair meshes to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP). She discusses the impact of unconscious sexism in surgery and steps needed to raise awareness of this important issue.

A medical team at the Royal Children's Hospital successfully separated conjoined Bhutanese twins, Nima and Dawa. The 14-month-old girls and their mother were brought to Australia in October 2018, courtesy of the charity organisation Children First Foundation, to undergo the surgery led by Dr Joe Crameri, Head of Paediatric Surgery at the RCH. He explains the details of the successful operation and the ongoing post-surgical care for the resilient and much-loved twins.

Volunteering overseas is a goal for many doctors. While it’s not for the faint hearted it’s also incredibly rewarding, as Dr Thomas Schaefer, an orthopaedic surgeon in Western Australia explains. Making a difference to in-need communities like those in Gaza, is what humanitarian work is all about for Dr Schaefer. He lets us into his journey from Switzerland to working in WA and volunteering overseas when and where he’s needed.

Living and working in regional parts of Australia can be immensely rewarding for surgeons. Port Macquarie on NSW's mid-north coast has been an attractive place to call home for both Dr Kesley Pedler and Dr Rupert Snyman and their respective families. They discuss why they made the move, the work that they do, some of the challenges of working in a regional city, and why they want to stay.

Specialist upper gastrointestinal surgeon, Dr Ken Loi has a number of priorities he'd like to address as regional chairman NSW RACS. In this episode, Dr Loi also discusses NSW Surgeons month which helps recognise and celebrate the wide variety of work that surgeons do.

To help shine a light on the financial considerations involved for Fellows entering into private practice, the Bongiorno National Network is running a series of workshops around Australia. It includes the upcoming 'Preparation for Private Practice' in Brisbane. Presenting at the event is Simon Farmer, Managing Director of Walshs. On this episode, Simon discusses some of the workshop's main topics, including: Business structures Debt management Wealth creation Personal insurance Preparation for Practice (Brisbane) 9-10 November, 2019For more information, or to register for the event:Website: https://bit.ly/342ykQxEmail: courtney.rhone@surgeons.orgPhone: +61 402 736 732

The College's Trainee Association – or RACSTA – serves an important role in representing the interests of surgical trainees. Imogen Ibbett, Chair of RACSTA, explains the good work the organisation does and how it strongly advocates the quality of training, workplace culture and well-being of trainees.

After facing his own battle with mental illness, cardiologist Dr Geoffrey Toogood champions mental health support for fellow medical professionals and the general public. He says it's important for people to talk about mental health issues in order to break down the stigma. For support and advice, talk to your GP, or contact Oz Lifeline 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636. For New Zealand listeners, call Lifeline on 0800 543 354.

RACS recently welcomed its new president, Adelaide paediatric surgeon, Dr Tony Sparnon, who replaced outgoing president, Dr John Batton. Since his appointment, Dr Sparton has been busy with issues relating to surgeons’ fees, informed consent and informed financial consent. He says it’s important that the College continues to adapt its surgical standards and professional values to keep pace with societal change.

Stress can sneak up on anyone over time, and if left unchecked can affect the quality of behaviour and performance. But there are strategies to help build resilience – not only at the individual level, but for teams and organisations as well. General surgeon Dr Richard Turner, who is Director of Hobart Clinical School and Professor of Surgery at University of Tasmania School of Medicine, explains the steps you can take to build resilience.

The lack of surgeons based in rural and regional Australia is impacting the health and financial wellbeing of families living in those areas. Long commutes to capital cities to access surgery mean some people are forgoing care entirely.  Economic modelling done by ENT Surgeon and newly-appointed Chair of the RACS Rural Surgery Section Committee, Dr Bridget Clancy, reveals the eye-watering cost to the community. Based in Warrnambool, in regional Victoria, she outlines some of the steps that can be taken to address the shortages of surgeons in country regions. Find out more about the Rural Surgery Section: https://www.surgeons.org/resources/interest-groups-sections/rural-surgery