Dr David Links

Dr David Links'

Consulting Locations  

Dr David Links'

Procedural Locations 

Upper Gastrointestinal, Bariatric & General Surgeon

Dr David Links is a highly experienced upper gastrointestinal, bariatric and general surgeon.

He has spent significant time training in his areas of expertise to provide you an excellent standard of care.

Dr Links focusses on taking the time to explain your options and help you make the right decisions in the best interests of your health. If you choose to go to surgery, David works collaboratively with other healthcare professionals involved in your care to best ensure you make a successful recovery.

Qualifications:

• BSC(MED) MBBS Hons Class II Div I (UNSW) 2002
• Basic Surgical Training (BST),
• Royal Australian College of Surgeons (RACS) Jan 2008
• Fellow of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (General Surgery) 2012
• ANZGOSA Post Fellowship Training Program 2012-2014
• Master Of Surgery (Upper GI) via coursework, University of Sydney 2013

Employment History

• 2015
• Visiting Medical Officer, Upper GI Surgery. Prince of Wales Hospital and Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick, NSW.
• Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgeon – The BMI Clinic (formerly Gastric Balloon Australia)
• 2014
• Senior Clinical Fellow, Northern Oesophagogastric Unit, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
• Oesophagogastric cancer surgery, benign Upper GI surgery, diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy. Acute surgery.
• 2013
• ANZGOSA Upper GI Fellow, Concord Hospital, Sydney.
• Oesophagogastric and HPB cancer surgery, minimally invasive Upper GI surgery, bariatric surgery, diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy. General surgery and acute surgery.
• 2012
• ANZGOSA Upper GI Fellow and Senior Surgical Registrar, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney.
• Oesophagogastric and HPB cancer surgery, benign upper GI and biliary surgery, diagnostic endoscopy. General surgery and acute surgery.

Surgical Education and Training (SET)

• 2011 SET 5
• Upper GI, Bankstown Hospital
• General Surgery/Vascular Surgery, Sutherland Hospital
• 2010 SET 4
• Surgical Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital
• Colorectal Surgery, Wollongong Hospital
• 2009 SET 3
• Upper GI, Prince of Wales Hospital
• Vascular Surgery, Lismore Base Hospital
• 2008 SET 2
• General Surgery, Sutherland Hospital
• General Surgery, Bankstown Hospital
• 2007
• Registrar in General Surgery, Cardiothoracics, Urology, Trauma, ENT
• Prince of Wales Hospital/St Vincent’s Hospital
• 2006
• Medical Officer in Emergency Department; Albury and Orange Base Hospitals
• Jan – Apr  
• 2005
• Surgical SRMO Prince of Wales Hospital
• 2003 - 2004
• Intern/Resident, Royal North Shore Hospital

Achievements and Awards

• Bard Prize for Best Trainee Presentation, Hernia Section, RACS Annual Scientific Congress, Perth 2010 
• John Flynn Rural Scholarship 1998-2001 (involving 2 weeks rural training in Bourke, NSW, each year)
• RAMUS Rural Health Scholarship 2000-2002

Research and Publications

Publications:

• Yang P, Links D, Petrovski J. Anesthetic Considerations for Ivor-Lewis Esophagectomy in a patient with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia: A Case Report. A & A Practice. Epub ahead of print. Accepted April 30, 2018.
• Links D. Benchmarks of Quality of Care in Pancreatic Cancer Surgery – a paradigm shift. Master of Surgery (USyd) dissertation. March 2013.
• Links D, Crowe P (2006). Horner’s Syndrome following placement of a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter. JPEN 30(5):451-2.
• Links D, Berney C. Traumatic lumbar hernia repair: a laparoscopic technique for mesh fixation with an iliac crest suture anchor. Hernia 2010 Aug 28 [Epub ahead of print]

Oral Presentation at regional, national or international meetings

• Links D. Invited Speaker. Surgical Approaches to obesity risk mitigation. Obesity: A New cancer problem workshop, Translational Cancer Research Network, UNSW. 3 July 2018.
• Kandasarmy M, Links D, Lyon A, Martin D. Is the long tight sleeve a valid option for the super obese? ANZ J Surg. 2014; 84 (Suppl. 1) BT10. RACS Annual Scientific Congress 2014.
• Links D, Cran V, Becerril G, Martin D. Endoscopic interventional techniques for the management of acute leaks and chronic sinuses after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. ANZ J Surg. 2014; 84 (Suppl. 1) BT14. RACS Annual Scientific Congress 2014. 
• Links D, Obturator Hernia: Clinical and radiological assessment and surgical techniques. Invited Speaker. General Surgeons Australia Trainee Day – Groin Hernia. Sept 2013. Sydney.
• Links D. Benchmarks of Quality of Care in Pancreatic Cancer Surgery – a paradigm shift. John Lowenthal Society, University of Sydney. Mar 2013.
• Links D. Treatment of Low Grade Barretts – Role of Antireflux Surgery. Invited speaker, IsDEAS/ANZGOSA meeting, Melbourne, Feb 2013.
• Ho F, Links D, Thompson S, Yang J, Choo E, Williams J, Lewis C, Smee R, Parasyn A and Crowe P. Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy (Modified Eilber protocol) compared to adjuvant radiotherapy in the treatment of extremity soft tissue sarcoma. The Coast Association TOW Research awards. Sydney 2011.
• Links D, Berney C. Initial Experience with Endoloop Technique to reduce post-operative seroma after totally extraperitoneal (TEP) repair of direct inguinal hernias (DIH). ANZ J Surg. 2010: 80 (Suppl. 1) A30. RACS Annual Scientific Congress 2010.
• Low T, Harvey A, Links D, Sidhu S, Delbridge L, Sywak M. Medullary Thyroid Cancer Outcomes in the Era of RET Mutation Analysis. ES08, ANZ J. Surg. 2008; 78 (Suppl. 1) A42. RACS Annual Scientific Congress 2008.
• Havas T, Links D. Evolving Concepts in the Management of Nasoseptal Perforation. 11^th Congress of International Rhinological Society, Sydney, Oct 2005.
• Gan S, Harding J, Links D, Sywak M, Sidhu S, Delbridge L: Medullary thyroid carcinoma: analysis of survival outcomes. ES15. RACS Annual scientific Congress 2004.

Poster Presentations at national or international meetings

Haghighi K, Links D. Short term outcomes for medium-volume pancreaticoduodenectomy surgeons can be equivalent to high volume centres, when performed concurrently with an overall high volume of complex HPB cases. PPP25-079. HPB 2014, 16 (Suppl. 2), 661. 11^th World Congress of IHPBA, 2014.

Bergamin P, Chang J, Links DJR, Stavrakis T and Haghighi KS. Synchronous Diaphragmatic excision during liver resection is safe and feasible. HPB 2013, 15 (Suppl. 2), 85–244. Fourth Biennial Congress of the Asian-Pacific Hepato-Pancreato Biliary Association. 27–30 March 2013. Shanghai, China

Ho F, Links D, Thompson S, Yang J, Choo E, Williams J, Lewis C, Smee R, Parasyn A and Crowe P. Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy (Modified Eilber protocol) compared to adjuvant radiotherapy in the treatment of extremity soft tissue sarcoma. Australian Sarcoma Group Annual Scientific Meeting, 2011.

Links D, Raley D, Graham J. All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) accidents in a regional centre. RS06P. ANZ J Surg. 2010: 80 (Suppl. 1) A77. RACS Annual Scientific Congress 2010.

Links D, Keogh G, Davis M, Edwards D. A 5-year review of suture needle loss in the operating suite. GS22P. ANZ J Surg. 2010: 80 (Suppl.1) A35. RACS Annual Scientific Congress 2010.

Book chapter:

Links D. Management of common ENT problems (Chapter). Royal North Shore Hospital Medical Officer Handbook (2004 Ed.)

Professional Development

Conferences attended:

• 6^th Annual Scientific Meeting, British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society, Newcastle, UK. Jan 2015
• European Society for Disease of the Oesophagus Annual meeting, Bologna Italy, Nov 2014
• RACS Annual Scientific Congress, Singapore, May 2014.
• Sydney Upper GI Surgical Society Conference: Revisional Bariatric Surgery – The failing or complicated band. Nov 2013 Sydney
• IsDEAS/ANZGOSA meeting, Melbourne, Feb 2013
• ANZHPBA annual meeting, Coolum, Nov 2012
• ANZGOSA/SUGGS meeting, Sydney, Sep 2012
• AGITG Annual Scientific Meeting, Sydney, Sep 2012
• Asian Pacific HBPA Congress, Melbourne, 2011
• RACS Annual Scientific Congress, Adelaide, 2011
• General Surgeons Australia Annual Conference, Sanctuary Cove, 2010
• RACS Annual Scientific Congress, Perth 2010
• International Surgical Week Conference, Adelaide, 2009
• RACS Annual Scientific Congress, Hong Kong, 2008

Courses attended:

• OSSANZ Post Fellowship Bariatric Surgery Workshop, Melbourne, March 2013
• OSSANZ Post Fellowship Bariatric Surgery Workshop 2: Obesity and surgical approaches to its management. Sydney, Nov 2013
• 2013 ANZHPBA/ANZGOSA post fellowship trainees weekend – presented topic “GIST – Do all tumours need to be resected?”
• ANZHPBA (NSW members) Journal Club 3 meetings through 2013, including paper presentations.
• 2012 ANZHPBA/ANZGOSA post fellowship trainees weekend – presented topic “Current trials in HPB and OG surgery in Australalasia”
• Asian-Pacific Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association Post Graduate Course 27 sept 2011, Melbourne.
• Definitive Surgical Trauma Care (DSCT) course, 2010
• Statistics for Surgeons course, 2008
• Critical Literature Evaluation and Research (CLEAR) course, 2008
• Emergency Management of Severe Trauma (EMST course), 2005
• Care of Critically Ill Surgical Patient (cCrisp) Course, 2005
• “Teaching on the Run” teaching in the workplace seminar, Prince of Wales Hospital, 2005
• Pediatric Emergency Training in Advanced Life Support (PETALS) 2004

Professional Involvement, Clinical Audit and Leadership:

• Upper GI Section Convener, RACS Annual Scientific Congress, Sydney, 2018
• Coordinator: Morbidity and Mortality meeting and Journal Club, Dept. of General Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital. 2015 – present
• Hospital Coordinator, RACS NSW Subcommittee Pre-Fellowship Advanced Surgery Course 2015 – present.
• Conjoint Associate Lecturer, University of New South Wales 2013: Including teaching on the run, examining and presenting formal Phase 3 Biomedical case on post surgical care in 2012.
• Current Member of ANZGOSA, ANZHPBA and ANZMOSS
• GESA Accredited for Endoscopy
• Senior Surgical Registrar responsible for POWH surgical registrar overtime roster, surgical network leave roster, registrar teaching and Dept of Surgery Morbidity and Mortality meetings/Journal club 2012
• Coordinator of clinical short and long cases, including patient recruitment and running the day, for the RACS General Surgery Fellowship exam held at Prince of Wales Hospital, Sept 2012..
• Liaison for POWH Dept of Surgery during implementation of UNSW Health Science Alliance Tissue Biobank, contributing to establishing and maintaining consent for tissue collection processes for cancer operations performed by the Department, 2012. As the POW Upper GI Fellow I coordinated consent and specimen collection for pancreatic tissue from all resections, for the Pancreatic Research Group (Prof Apte) at UNSW.
• Surgical Audit of outcomes of pancreatic resections over a 5 year period as part of Masters of Surgery Dissertation. 
• Management of surgical registrar overtime roster, Wollongong Hospital, Jun - Dec 2010, Sutherland Hospital, Jun – Dec 2011
• Trained surveyor in hospital accreditation for the Postgraduate Medical Council NSW
• Audit of time to triage, assessment, CT and definitive treatment of stroke presentations over one year period at Manly Emergency Dept. Presented at Manly Hospital Medical Grand Rounds, Aug 2003

Achievements and activities outside of Medicine

• 1^st and 2^nd Grade, UNSW Hockey Club, 2001 – 2005, 2007 – 2011. Captain of 2^nd Grade Men’s hockey team, 2004. Represented the UNSW Hockey team at University Games 2001-2002.
• OxFam Community Aid Abroad Trailwalker 2003
• Completed Newcastle (UK) Triathlon 2014 Beginner Triathlon
• Duke Of Edinburgh Award – Bronze, Silver and Gold