We provide specialist medical care for the assessment, investigation and treatment of general surgery conditions. Patients requiring surgery will be placed onto the Eastern Health surgical waiting list.
Referral to Eastern Health General Surgery Clinics is not appropriate for:
- Pituitary gland
- Adrenal gland
- Vascular or Oesophageal problems
- Medical problems such as respiratory, cardiac or renal
Information is available on HealthPathways Melbourne for assistance in managing your patient’s condition. This includes what investigations you need to perform prior to referring to a specialist and what information you need to include in the referral. If you require login access to HealthPathways, contact info@healthpathwaysmelbourne.org.au.
For conditions listed below, refer to the Statewide Referral Criteria for Specialist Clinics:
- Abdominal wall and groin hernias
- Gallbladder stones and polyps
For other General Surgery conditions listed below, referrals should be directed to:
- Breast Surgery for referrals for:
- Advice on inherited breast cancer (high-risk patients)
- Breast lumps and other conditions
- Suspected or confirmed breast cancer
- Colorectal Surgery for referrals for:
- Rectal bleeding
- Perianal lumps
- Plastic Surgery for referrals for:
- Assessment for breast reconstructive surgery
- Breast reduction surgery
- Carpal tunnel and other nerve compression syndromes
- Dupuytren’s contracture
- Hand fractures and infections
- Melanoma
- Skin lesions and other skin cancers
- Stenosing tenosynovitis including trigger finger
- Upper Gastrointestinal (GI)/Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) Surgery for referrals for:
- Hiatus hernia
- Known or suspected hepatobiliary malignancy
- Known or suspected upper gastrointestinal malignancy
Referrals are triaged depending on priority. For urgent concerns we encourage clinicians to contact the on-call General Surgery registrar or physician through the hospital switchboard via 1300 342 255. Acutely unwell patients can also be directed to the Emergency Department at any time.
For referral information, including how to refer electronically, see Specialist (Outpatients) Clinics.
If your patient’s condition deteriorates, please send an updated referral via HealthLink SmartForms selecting the Referral Continuation “Amended referral/update previously sent referral” with additional clinical information.
Emergency cases should be sent to the Emergency Department.