I was born and grew up in Brisbane. Following school, I attended the University of Queensland, where I received my medical degree. I undertook an internship and several years of junior surgical training at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
My surgical training got off to a good start when I was awarded the
Gordon-Taylor Medal for the surgical primary examination. I went on to commence training as a neurosurgery trainee. During this time, I undertook a Fellowship in Spinal Surgery with Brisbane Spinal Surgeon, I became disenchanted with neurosurgery and changed to Orthopaedics, undertaking initial non-training positions in Orthopaedic surgery at Darwin hospital with Dr Robert Pozzi and then at the Gold Coast Hospital.
After completing Orthopaedic training, I spent a year in postgraduate Orthopaedic Fellowship training at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Hand and Upper Limb Surgery. This fellowship entailed extensive clinical duties and a research component. I gained comprehensive experience in microsurgery for replantation surgery, hand trauma, and major upper limb orthopaedic trauma. A significant focus of the fellowship was tertiary referral shoulder surgery.
Beyond surgery, I have professional interests in research and training younger surgeons. I am actively involved in research having published academic papers in international scientific journals. I am regularly invited to speak at national and international surgical conferences. I was awarded the Shoulder and Elbow Society of Australia International Travelling Fellowship and visited with members of the European Society for Shoulder and Elbow Surgery and am a corresponding member of the European Shoulder and Elbow Society (SECEC).
I am the chief supervisor of three Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) accredited
Fellowships in Shoulder Arthroscopy and Arthroplasty training three Australian or Internationally trained Orthopaedic surgeons in subspecialty shoulder surgery each year with my colleague and partner Ashish Gupta.
At the St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital, I have my private practice Shoulder Clinic. I worked in the Australian public hospital system for 16 years as an Orthopaedic Specialist committing one day a week to Queensland public hospitals. For most of those, my appointment was at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, more recently at the Mater hospital. I resigned from my public appointment at the Mater hospital in 2020. I now spend that time at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). I still have public appointments at the Cairns Base Hospital & Princess Alexandra Hospital which I visit several times a year.
At a state and national level, I am actively engaged in Surgical Societies. I am a member of the Australian Society of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery and the Australian Hand Surgery Society. I am a past President of the Queensland Hand Surgery Society and a previous Scientific Secretary of the Queensland Branch of the AOA. I am a past Secretary of the Queensland Shoulder Society. I am a past member of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Queensland Regional Committee. At the Brisbane Private Hospital, I was Chairman of the Patient Care Review Committee and a member of the Brisbane Private Medical Advisory Committee for over 12 years.
I am Chair of the AOA Federal Fellowships committee and Chairman of the Federal AOA Continuing Orthopaedic Education committee. I was elected Scientific Secretary of the federal AOA in 2022 and currently serve on the national board of the AOA. In January 2024 I stepped down as Queensland Chairman of the Australian Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons (ASOS) and Vice President of ASOS nationally.
The University of Queensland recognised my work teaching medical students and surgical colleagues, my research activities, and the contributions made through leadership roles when it appointed me Associate Professor in 2016. The Queensland University of Technology appointed me Professor (adjunct) in 2022.
As a shoulder surgeon I aim to get you the best possible result for your shoulder problem. My primary clinical interests are shoulder joint replacement surgery, instability surgery, including dislocations, and rotator cuff issues.
For patients requiring consideration of shoulder replacement or instability surgery, CT scans have become increasingly important in decision-making. My office can assist you in organising appropriate imaging for your shoulder condition.
It is now accepted practice (due to high observed recurrence rates) for younger, physically active patients to be considered for early stabilisation following a shoulder dislocation. I consult on Tuesdays and Thursdays at St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital; my staff will always fit you in if you need to be seen urgently.
I rely on MRI scans without contrast to assess patients for rotator cuff problems. I perform all rotator cuff surgery arthroscopically (keyhole surgery).
My current research interests include shoulder replacement surgery; arthroscopic latarjet reconstructions for recurrent shoulder instability; retear rates following rotator cuff repair surgery; and arthroscopic release for patients with severely frozen shoulders.
Many patients live outside Brisbane, and I encourage patients, and their GPs, to consider an initial Telehealth consultation before travelling to Brisbane. Postoperative follow-up can usually be managed similarly without the need to travel to Brisbane for each appointment.
No one thinks about their shoulder very much; that is, until it goes bad when they find they can't work, they can't sleep and they can't play sport. Then they think about their shoulder all the time. What I love about what I do is that I get to fix your shoulder.
I look forward to seeing you in my office.
