Training Positions

Position Description

The Royal Perth Hospital multidisciplinary breast service cares for 350 women with new breast cancer each year. The breast clinic is staffed by breast physicians, radiologists, specialist breast cancer nurses, physiotherapist, clinical psychologists and breast surgeons.Weekly multidisciplinary meetings are conducted with significant contributions from medical oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, psychology, plastic surgery and genetic services.

There are 5 consultant breast oncoplastic surgeons in the service. Standard oncologic breast resections, including sentinel lymph node biopsy are routinely performed. In addition, oncoplastic techniques e.g. therapeutic mammoplasty; symmetrising mastopexy; Fat grafting, lipomodelling, Implant based reconstructions; and Latissimus Dorsi flap reconstructions are performed by the breast surgeons in the unit. Strong relationships with the plastic surgery department generate a significant number of tissue flap immediate reconstructions.

To complement the continuing education program, monthly breast service presentations/meetings are conducted either by local or visiting speakers. During the 12 month term, there is ample opportunity for the breast fellow to perform oncologic breast surgery independently, and the fellow would be expected to perform some teaching to advanced trainees. The fellow would also gain valuable exposure to oncoplastic techniques and would be expected to be comfortable performing some of these techniques by the end of the term.

The unit has a strong focus on research and participation in clinical trials. The General Surgery on-call commitment is small.

Unit Consultants (Breast Unit)
Dr Vanitha Budhavaram, Consultant Breast Surgeon/Head of Unit
Dr Vineeta Singh, Consultant Breast Surgeon
Dr Synn Lynn Chin, Consultant Breast Surgeon
Dr Helen Ballal, Consultant Breast Surgeon
Dr David Lim, Consultant Breast Surgeon