The Medical Journal of Australia

Emergency laparotomies are performed on thousands of Australians each year for critical conditions like bowel obstruction and peritonitis. It’s a high-risk procedure with a mortality rate of 6.9%. Now, for the first time in Australia, a national clinical care standard has been published by Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. It’s to support clinicians and healthcare services to deliver best care and improve patient outcomes. To talk to us about the standard is Professor David Watters AM OBE. He is a Distinguished (Alfred Deakin) Professor at Deakin University and Barwon Health, and Director of Surgery at Safer Care Victoria. I’m also joined by Dr Chuan-Whei Lee, Staff Specialist and Joint Clinical Lead of Perioperative Medicine at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and Clinical Senior Lecturer in the Department of Critical Care at the University of Melbourne. “The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Wangal people. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.”

My name is Sally Block, the MJA’s news and online editor. “The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Wangal people. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.” With the proliferation of GLP 1s globally, a new study published in the MJA aims to provide an estimate of the number of adults eligible for TGA approved medicine for chronic weight management. At least four in ten adults are eligible for the drug and hundreds of thousands are eligible for the treatment of secondary prevention of heart disease. Co-author and PhD candidate Jasmin Castrillon joins me now.

My name is Sally Block, the MJA’s news and online editor. “The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Wangal people. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.” The lung cancer screening program was introduced in July last year, designed to help with early intervention for Australia’s deadliest cancer. So how’s it faring? To discuss this, our special guest today is Professor Fraser Brims who is a consultant respiratory physician at St Charles Gairdener Hospital and Curtin University in Perth. He has written a perspective for the MJA on the program calling for more investment so it can reach it’s full potential. He joins me on this podcast.

This week we look at improving the health of children and young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through participation. “The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Wangal people. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.” Dr Jordan Cory a Kamilaroi woman and Bonnie Dukakis a Gunditjmara woman who were co-authors of an MJA paper on participation of Indigenous children and young people to improve health and wellbeing. In this podcast, they talk to Sally Block about the paper and many other aspects of the health of young Indigenous peoples. Cultural safety is explored and described - as not another tick a box alongside fire training in an organisation - but an evolving commitment. Ms Dukasis is the CEO of The Koori Youth Council in Melbourne and we find out what they are doing for Indigenous young people.

This week is NAIDOC week and the MJA is publishing a special collection of articles that are Indigenous led and authored. The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Wangal people. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present. My name is Sally Block, the MJA ’s news and online editor. To learn more about the collection, I’m joined by guest authors Ms Sophie Pitt, A Meriam Torres Strait Islander woman, Dr Stephen Harfield - a proud Narungga and Ngarrindjeri man and Associate Professor Paul Saunders a proud Biripi man.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council. From its official inception in the 1930s, the NHMRC has had a rich history from protecting Australia from diseases like polio and tuberculosis to making sure it backs high quality research that is ethical, rigorous and focused on community benefit. "The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Wangal people. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.” The Council Chair of NHMRC, Professor Caroline Homer AO joins me now.

Breastfeeding is encouraged worldwide – it also has particular benefits for mothers in warzones. To speak about this and other interesting facets about breastfeeding is Dr Mariana Gutierrez Popoca. She is a Paediatrician with Medicine Sans Frontiers and visited the Australian Breastfeeding Medicine Conference recently. “The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Wangal people. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.”

Welcome to this podcast from the Medical Journal of Australia. My name is Sally Block, the MJA’s news and online editor. “The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.” The MJA has recently published the Australian Clinical Guideline for Diagnosing and Managing Acute Coronary Syndromes 2025. Professor Garry Jennings AO has a distinguished career as a cardiologist in clinical practice and was previously Director of Cardiology at The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, and Chair of the Division of Medicine. He is the Heart Foundation’s Chief Medical Advisor. Professor Jennings is a co-author of the Guideline and joins me now.

Welcome to this podcast from the Medical Journal of Australia. My name is Sally Block, the MJA’s news and online editor. “The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.” Today we will be talking about a type of trauma that generally can’t be seen by the eye. Complex trauma is defined as repeated, ongoing, and often extreme interpersonal trauma (between people) – and it can involve violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation experienced as a child, young person and adult. The Blue Knot Foundation is a National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma. Joining me today is the Foundation’s President and Managing Director Dr. Cathy Kezelman AM to talk about complex trauma and how clinicians can help patients who are affected by it.

Today we are exploring Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion or LAAO Therapy. We explore the clinical rationale, patient selection, referral pathways and key considerations for LAAO. and aim to understand the therapy as an option for patients who are unsuitable for long term anticoagulation therapy. This is a sponsored podcast. A/Prof Pankaj Jain is an academic interventional cardiologist with appointments at Royal Prince Alfred, Concord, and Macquarie University Hospitals. He is a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney, and Conjoint Senior Lecturer at the University of New South Wales. His interests include complex coronary and structural heart interventions, and mechanical support devices for heart failure. Dr Ata Doost is an Interventional Cardiologist. He completed his training at various hospitals throughout Australia and undertook his speciality fellowship training at Kings College Hospital in London He has appointments at Macquarie University Hospital and National Capital Private & Calvary Bruce Hospitals in Canberra and is a Senior Clinical lecturer at Macquarie University Medical School. Dr Doost has performed thousands of cardiac catheterisations and has extensive experience in structural heart procedures. He specialises in coronary interventions, advanced imaging, and valve therapies including TAVI and MitraClip.

Today we are exploring the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, treating dementia and how nutrition can help with cognitive decline. This podcast is sponsored by Macquarie University Hospital, part of Macquarie University Health – a trailblazer in healthcare, education and research. Dr Heather Francis is an endorsed Clinical Neuropsychologist. She is experienced in the diagnosis and management of neurological and neurosurgical conditions. She provides evidence based cognitive and lifestyle recommendations and interventions to improve brain health and mental wellbeing, as well as reduce risk of cognitive decline in aging. She has a research interest in the effects of diet on the brain. Professor James Burrell graduated with a combined Arts/Medicine degree from the University of New South Wales in 2000. He completed basic physicians training at Prince of Wales Hospital, before progressing through advanced training in neurology at Concord and Royal Prince Alfred hospitals. He completed a fellowship in neuromuscular disease and neurophysiology in 2008. Professor Burrell completed a PhD, based at Neuroscience Research Australia, then took up a position as Senior Research Officer at the same institution from 2012-2016, before moving to the University of Sydney in 2017. His PhD and subsequent research contributions focus on the clinical, neuropsychological, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging characteristics of dementias, with a specific aim of improving diagnostic and prognostic markers. He was appointed Clinical Associate Professor in 2019. Professor Burrell held a position as Staff Specialist in neurology at Concord Hospital from 2011 to 2025. He was appointed Senior Staff Specialist and Head of Neurology in August 2020. He is a Consultant Neurologist and Professor of Cognitive Neurology at Macquarie University. Professor Burrell is also a dedicated educator and mentor, with extensive publications in leading neurology journals.

My name is Sally Block, the MJA’s news and online editor. “The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Wangal people. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.” This week the MJA has published a supplement called Cure asthma – it’s a collaboration between keen Australian stakeholders, and co-ordinated by The University of Melbourne and Asthma Australia. As the name states, the goal is to not just treat asthma, but to find a cure. To discuss this I am joined by Professor Gary Anderson who is a pharmacologist and immunologist and Director of the Lung Health Research Centre at the University of Melbourne.

Australia now has its first Male Infertility guidelines. The Guidelines are featured today as an Online First ahead of their official publication in MJA later this year. “The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.” Associate Professor Darren Katz is a Urologist at the University of Melbourne’s Department of Surgery. He is Medical Director of Men’s Health Melbourne. Here’s here to speak to us about the guidelines and joins me now.

Australia has its first new cancer screening programme in 20 years, this time for lung cancer. Today we’ll be discussing this new programme in depth as well as the role of primary care and the supports available in delivering the programme. This podcast is Sponsored by the Australian Government National Lung Cancer Screening Program. Professor Vivienne Milch is Medical Director, at Cancer Australia. Professor Milch is also Medical Advisor to the Australian Commonwealth Department of Health, Disability and Ageing on cancer screening policy. Professor Milch holds a Master’s degree in Health Policy and is an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor in the School of Medicine, Sydney Campus at The University of Notre Dame, Australia and Professorial Fellow at the Caring Futures Institute at Flinders University in Adelaide. Prior to joining Cancer Australia, Professor Milch was a General Practitioner and clinical researcher at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney. Relevant links: the Investigating Symptoms of Lung Cancer guide Healthcare Provider Toolkit The NLCSP website Program Guidelines GP guide resource Reducing stigma in the program Low-dose CT Scan request form eLearning modules developed by Lung Foundation Australia Actionable additional findings guidelines

Today we are exploring cardiac surgery in elderly patients. This podcast is sponsored by Macquarie University Hospital, part of Macquarie University Health – a trailblazer in healthcare, education and research. Professor Michael Vallely is a leading cardiothoracic surgeon who has clinical and academic interests in minimising the invasiveness of cardiothoracic surgery and is a world authority on total arterial, anaortic, off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery. He also has interests in minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS and Da Vinci robotic surgery), transcatheter (TAVI and Mitra-Clip) cardiac surgery, thoracic aortic surgery, geriatric cardiac surgery, and hybrid procedures including the use of ECMO. Dr Nargis Shaheen is a consultant geriatrician with a special interest in perioperative medicine working at Macquarie University Hospital and Concord Hospital. She is a member of the ANZCA perioperative care working group and is involved in perioperative medicine teaching.

Welcome to this podcast from the Medical Journal of Australia. My name is Sally Block, the MJA’s news and online editor. “The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.” Between 1968 and 1970, Australia was hit by a pandemic known as the Hong Kong Flu. The MJA is publishing an historical piece about the pandemic and its impact. Dr John Gerrard is the Infectious Diseases Physician at the Gold Coast University Hospital and former Chief Health Officer of Queensland.

Today we are exploring advances in glaucoma and age-related macular disease. This podcast is sponsored by Macquarie University Hospital, part of Macquarie University Health – a trailblazer in healthcare, education and research. Dr Helen Do is an ophthalmic surgeon with a specialising in medical retina and cataract surgery with a focus on diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration at Macquarie University hospital. She is a clinical lecturer at Macquarie University and Sydney University. And Dr Aparna Raniga is a glaucoma and cataract specialist surgeon with a focus on diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration at Macquarie University Hospital.

A little over 10 years ago the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care released its first national clinical care standard. A perspective on the subject is published in the MJA today and a webinar is being held tomorrow where the Commission will showcase the five stories of excellence discussed in today’s podcast. The link to the webinar will be is here The Chief Medical Officer of the Commission Conjoint Professor Carolyn Hullick and its Clinical Care Standards Director Dr Alice Bhasale join me on today's podcast.

The likelihood of a man or woman dying of coronary heart disease is much less than it was half a century ago with better treatments and a reduction in smoking. However, as our special guests will explain today, the overall burden of coronary disease continues to grow and it still remains the single leading cause of death in Australia. Professor Will Parsonage is Clinical Director at the Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation and Senior Staff Cardiologist at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital and St Vincent's Private Hospital. Associate Professor Sarah Zaman is an Academic Interventional Cardiologist at Westmead Hospital and the University of Sydney. They are co authors on the The Lancet Commission on rethinking coronary artery disease and they have written about it for the MJA’s InSight+ and they join me now.

Australia’s privacy regulator has recently updated its guidance to clinicians about contacting their patients’ relatives about their genetic risk of disease. The MJA is featuring an article on the subject by Dr Jane Tiller as an Online First this week, ahead of its publication in the Journal in August. Dr Tiller is a lawyer, genetic counsellor and public health researcher. She’s the Ethical, Legal and Social Adviser in Public Health Genomics at Monash University.