Paediatrics - Surgery

The Department of Paediatrics includes academic clinicians providing both elective and emergency surgical care for neonates and children. This includes care primarily at Monash Children’s Hospital and Casey hospital. We combine world-leading research in 3 main domains with excellent clinical care to provide optimal patient outcomes. These domains include clinical research, simulation-based education and global health. We collaborate with colleagues across Australia and internationally to advance these domains utilising innovative and novel techniques to improve the care that is provides to babies and children requiring surgical interventions. The global health initiatives are co-ordinated by Monash Children’s Simulation (MCS) a collaborative organisation between Monash Health and Monash University. MCS has multiple portable training laboratories across the Pacific Islands and other low resource settings designed to use innovative simulation-based education to improve the care that is provided to children irrespective of resource setting and availably. It also collaborates with international organisations such as the Global Initiative for Children’s Surgery (GICS) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). The surgical department is also a pioneer in the use of wearable technology both for improving patient care and surgical education utilising augmented and mixed reality in various research projects. Many opportunities for students are available, ranging from short research placements, BMedSc(Hons) projects, up to PhD candidates in all the various research streams.

The Department of Paediatric Surgery at Monash Children’s Hospital has varied research streams utilising well-constructed prospective and retrospective studies including randomised controlled trials to improve the evidence base for the treatment of common paediatric surgical conditions. This research has been primarily led by student researchers with supervision by academic clinical surgeons in the Department of Paediatrics. The department also adopts and adapts novel techniques and instruments for improving clinical surgical outcomes. Multiple research projects have been conducted in collaboration with other discipline and paediatric subspecialties. The unit is also involved in the delivery of high quality unique surgical simulation training in partnership with Monash Children’s Simulation in the world-leading paediatric surgical simulation centre based at Monash Children’s Hospital. Many opportunities for students are available, ranging from short research placements, BMedSc(Hons) projects, up to PhD candidates. Research streams include Clinical Paediatric Surgery, Wearable technology, Surgical Simulation, Simulation-based medical education, Global Surgery and Global Health.

Latest research highlight

A clinical trial – spearheaded by Professor Simon Craig, to determine the best intravenous treatments for children with severe asthma will go ahead thanks to an almost $5 million Medical Research Future Fund grant.

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Researchers

Research groups

Publication highlight

  • GlobalSurg Collaborative & (Nataraja RM). Mortality from Gastrointestinal Congenital Anomalies at 264 Hospitals in 74 Low- Middle- and High-Income Countries: A Multicentre, International, Prospective Cohort Study. Lancet July 2021.
  • Tandon S, Ensor N, Pacilli M, Laird A, Bortagaray J, Stunden R, Nataraja RM. Comparison of skin closure techniques in children undergoing elective surgical procedures – a prospective randomised controlled trial. Br J Surg 2022 Oct 14;109(11):1087-1095. doi: 10.1093/bjs/znac254.
  • Ensor N, Martin S, Chang A, Sharpin C, Tandon S, Madden A, Syme D, Pacilli M, Nataraja R. Negative Pressure Dressing Versus Conventional Passive Dressing in Pilonidal Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Surg Res. 2024 Oct 10; 303:313-321. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2024.09.016
  • Hilzenrat   RA, Livergant R, Binda CJ, Adams J, Joos E, Joharifard S, Chin E, Haji F; GLOBESURG Collaborators (Nataraja R). International Consensus on Global Surgery Learning Objectives and Competencies. Ann Surg. 2025 Aug 19. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000006905.
  • Qin   KR, Ensor N, Barnes R, Englin A, Nataraja RM, Pacilli M. Standard Versus Long Peripheral Catheters for Multiday IV Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Pediatrics 2021 Feb;147 (2).
  • Bate   NJ, Xu SC, Pacilli M, Roberts LJ, Kimber C, Nataraja RM. Effect of the COVID-19 induced phase of massive telehealth uptake on end-user satisfaction. Intern Med J 2021 Feb;51(2): 206-214.
  • Mennie   N, Panabokke G, Chang A, Tan Tanny S, Cheng W, Pacilli M, Ferguson P, Nataraja RM. Are post-operative antibiotics indicated in simple appendicitis? A prospective double-blinded randomised controlled trial. Annals of Surgery. 2019 Dec 9.
  • Nataraja   RM, Yin Mar Oo, Kyaw KK, Webb N, Ljuhar D, Pacilli M, NyoNyo Win, Kimber C, Aye Aye. Clinical Impact of the Introduction of Paediatric Intussusception Air Enema Reduction Technology in a Low- Middle- Income Country using Low Cost Simulation. Simul Healthc. 2019 Nov 15.