General surgery | Upper GI and bariatric

General Surgery at Epworth Eastern consists of two 30-bed Units specialising in multiple disciplines as well as catering for patients requiring general surgery.

The General Surgical Unit hosts a variety of surgical disciplines including:

• Abdominal
• Bariatric
• Breast Surgery
• Colorectal
• Hepatobiliary
• Thyroid/Parathyroid
• Upper Gastrointestinal
• Urology

A stomal therapist and urology clinical specialist are employed and the unit has the full support of both the Day Surgery Unit and the Operating Suite. Intensive care is also available when medically required.

The unit is made up of both single and shared rooms. Room allocation will depend on availability at the time of admission. Please note every effort will be made to meet your room requests.

Breast Care Consultants and Urology Nurse Specialists are readily available to assist and encourage learning at all levels.

Nurse Manager

Phone: 03 8807 7100

Operating Suite

The department consists of eight operating theatres (including four digital theatres), each with a designated anaesthetic bay/room attached. One theatre is a designated cardiac theatre. We have also implemented robotic assisted surgery for urology.

The specialties catered for include major and minor procedures for:

• Bariatric/weight loss surgery
• Cardiac/vascular surgery
• Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)
• General surgery
• Gynaecology
• Neurosurgery
• Orthopaedics
• Plastic surgery
• Urology

The day surgery unit is contained on the same floor, allowing improved patient turn around times. The primary nursing model is implemented in theatre to cater for the specific Visiting Medical Officer's (VMOs) needs.

Day Surgery Unit

Epworth Eastern has 12 dedicated Day Operating Theatres with two endoscopy rooms and two catheter laboratories within the Day Surgery Unit.

A wide range of procedures are performed in the areas of:

• Gastroenterology
• General surgery
• Gynaecology
• Oral surgery
• Orthopaedic
• Plastic surgery
• Robotic Assisted surgery
• Urology

The General Surgical Ward (Ward 1 East) comprises 31 beds and hosts a variety of surgical disciplines including:

• Abdominal
• Bariatrics
• Breast Surgery
• Colorectal
• Hepatobiliary
• Upper Gastrointestinal
• Urology

The unit is made up of both single and shared rooms. Room allocation will depend on availability at the time of admission.

Staff on Ward 1 East are supported by a full-time Clinical Facilitator, Breast Care Consultants and a Urology Nurse Specialist readily available to assist and encourage learning at all levels.

Operative Services

Epworth Freemasons has two theatre complexes, located at Clarendon Street and Victoria Parade, comprising a total of ten operating theatres.

Clarendon Street Operating Suite

The Operating Suite at the hospital's Clarendon Street Campus has five theatres and a twelve bay Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit.

The unit cares for a diverse range of specialties including:

• Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)
• General surgery
• Gynaecological Oncology
• Gynaecology
• Orthopaedics
• Plastics
• Urology

Day Procedure Centre

At Epworth Freemasons nearby Victoria Parade Medical Centre is a Day Procedure Centre, with four operating theatres, an Endoscopy room and a 22 bay recovery room.

The Day Procedure Centre at Epworth Freemasons is a purpose-built facility for both medical and surgical patients.

This Centre is fully self-contained and includes:

• 22-bay Recovery room
• Discharge lounge
• Endoscopy room
• Four operating theatres
• Spacious admissions area

Experienced and dedicated staff deliver care in the following specialties

• Endoscopy
• General surgery
• Gynaecology
• Opthalmology
• Oral surgery
• Urology

The Centre also services the needs of obstetrics patients requiring caesarean sections, with an operating theatre located in the nearby Maternity Unit.

Patient Admission Information

On the day before your procedure, please contact the Day Procedure Centre on 03 9418 8189 between 8:30-4:30pm to confirm your arrival time. This is generally 1 hour prior to surgery, although this may vary for some procedures. For Monday appointments, please call the prior Friday.

Patients with a disability or who speak a language other than English are required to bring someone to assist the medical staff with completing their health history.

Enquiries to be directed through the hospital switchboard on 03 5271 7777.

The General Surgical unit is a 44-bed unit, hosting a variety of surgical disciplines including:

• Abdominal
• Colorectal
• Ear, Nose & Throat
• Gynaecology
• Hepatobiliary
• Obesity Surgery
• Upper Gastrointestinal
• Urology

The unit is made up of both single and shared rooms, your allocation depends on availability at the time of admission.

Doctors

Accredited Consultant, Surgeons and Physicians with expertise in various subspecialties of general surgery and medicine admit elective patients to 7 Gray. The majority of these doctors work in public teaching hospitals. There is a 24-hour on-call roster to treat any patient presenting urgently in the emergency department.

If patients are admitted via Epworth Richmond Emergency Department they may choose to be treated by their surgeon of choice or by the surgeon on call.

Operating Theatres

The Operating Theatre Suite at Epworth Richmond consists of 28 theatres, including a state-of-the-art hybrid theatre.

Specialties include:

• Bariatric/Weight loss surgery
• Gastroenterology
• Urology
• Gynaecology
• Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)
• Plastics
• Neurosurgery
• Oral Maxillofacial
• Orthopaedics

Epworth Richmond has two digital theatres that have state-of-the-art facilities with the latest technologies that allow best quality images. These theatres are used by both Orthopaedic and General Surgeons. 

Theatres are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Specialist on call nursing teams are available out of hours and weekends to ensure optimal care is delivered to all patients.