General Surgery 1 is one of the 4 sub-specialty General Surgery teams at Peninsula Health. GS1 focuses on the treatment of benign and malignant conditions of the upper gastrointestinal tract – including the liver, pancreas, stomach, oesophagus and duodenum.
Treatment options available include major resections (open and minimally invasive), endoscopic and ablative techniques, as well as management of non-operative patients.
The Consultant Surgeons on GS1 are all active members of relevant subspecialty organisations, Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Gastric and Oesophageal Surgery Association (AANZGOSA) and Australian & Aotearoa New Zealand, Hepatic, Pancreatic & Biliary Association (AANZHPBA).
The team is also comprised of Surgical Trainees and Junior Medical Staff. The GS1 team work closely with a wide range of health professionals across the hospital, including Dietitians, Interventional Radiologists, Oncologists and Gastroenterologists.
Our Specialists
A/Prof Peter Evans
Bio coming soon.
Mr Ben Privett
Mr Ben Privett is a general surgeon with sub-speciality training in gallbladder, hepatic (liver) and pancreatic surgery. After completing his undergraduate studies Mr Privett went on to complete his general surgery training across Victoria and New South Wales, he was awarded fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2018.
Mr Privett then continued his surgical training post-fellowship and further specialised in Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery, completing training and membership with the Australian & Aotearoa New Zealand, Hepatic, Pancreatic & Biliary Association (AANZHPBA). He most recently completed a year of fellowship training in Liver Transplant in 2021 at the Austin Hospital.
Mr Privett has a interest in surgical education, currently completing a Masters in Surgical Education at the University of Melbourne. He is committed to improving the quality of training for the next generation of surgeons and is currently the supervisor for the junior medical staff in the Department of Surgery at Frankston Hospital. Mr Privett has also been appointed as co-convener of the Victorian Trainees’ weekend in General Surgery.
Mr Ben Privett has been a keen contributor to the medical field, publishing numerous papers in medical journals. Mr Privett is also an Associate Lecturer at Monash University and reviewer for the ANZ Journal of Surgery.
A/Prof Charles Pilgrim
A/Prof Pilgrim completed fellowships in Upper GI surgery at The Alfred and Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin (USA) and has a PhD from Peter MacCallum.
He has appointments at Cabrini Hospital, The Alfred (HPB and Trauma) as well as Frankston and Peninsula Private hospitals and is a serving military surgeon and lieutenant colonel in the Australian Army.
He is an Associate Professor at Monash University and a Senior trauma instructor/examiner for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He is a member of the Academy of Surgical Educators and the Section of Academic surgery with the College of Surgeons.
Mr Guy Sheahan
Mr Guy Sheahan is a general surgeon who undertook his surgical training in QLD before moving to Melbourne to complete further training in the care of the critically ill surgical, trauma and burn injured patient.
Mr Sheahan has a strong interest in improving patient outcomes through education and multidisciplinary team simulation based training, having completed a Masters of Education in Canada during his surgical training. He is married to an intensivist working at The Alfred, and is dad to a little boy and girl.
Ms Inoka De Silva
Ms Inoka De Silva completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at Monash University in 2009 and trained as a doctor and General Surgery Registrar at Monash Health, gaining her Fellowship of The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in 2018.
Inoka worked as a staff general surgeon/fellow at Frankston Hospital in 2019 and was selected for the highly competitive Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Gastric and Oesophageal Surgery Association (AANZGOSA) Fellowship Training Program, which she completed at John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle NSW and Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide SA. Inoka returned to the Mornington Peninsula in 2022.
Inoka is passionate about teaching and education throughout all levels of medical training. She is an examiner at Monash University School of Medicine and is the current Fellow Representative on the AANZGOSA Board. Inoka lives on the Mornington Peninsula with her husband and family.
Mr Josh Hammerschlag
Mr Josh Hammerschlag studied medicine at Monash University, during which he undertook his first clinical placement at Frankston Hospital back in 2008.
After medical school Mr Hammerschlag worked predominantly in the Monash Health network, completing internship and residency years. Josh enrolled in General Surgery SET training at Monash and Peninsula Health, sitting his fellowship exam in 2020.
In 2021 Josh returned to Frankston Hospital as the Upper GI fellow and over the last two years has gone on to complete subspecialty training with AANZGOSA (Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand gastric and oesophageal surgery association).
Mr Ali Andrabi
Bio coming soon.
Dr Matthew Stokes
Dr Matthew Stokes is a Consultant General Surgeon with sub-specialty training in Upper GI (Oesophago-gastric) & bariatric surgery.
He completed medical school in 2013 and general surgical training through Alfred Health, Melbourne in 2020 receiving his Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS). In 2022 Dr Matthew Stokes was the General Surgery Fellow/Staff General Surgeon at Frankston Hospital, where he gained immense experience in emergency general surgery.
In 2023 & 2024 he undertook further sub-specialty training in benign & malignant Upper GI Surgery through the Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand Gastric & Oesophageal Surgery Association (AANZGOSA) in Brisbane, QLD at Princess Alexandra Hospital, and Edinburgh, Scotland at The Royal Infirmary Edinburgh, NHS Lothian.
Dr Stokes works publicly at The Alfred (Oesophagogastric, Bariatric, General Surgery Unit) & Frankston Hospital, and privately at Peninsula Private Hospital.
His interests are in minimally invasive surgery for disorders of the oesophagus and stomach, including cancer, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, hiatus hernias, bariatric (weight loss) surgery, abdominal wall hernias, as well as emergency general surgery. He is passionate about providing the very best care to all of his elective and emergency patients.
