Paediatric surgery research still in infancy, researcher says

(PhysOrg.com) -- On average, some 1600 surgeries are performed on children each year in Australia, compared to the five to six million surgeries carried out on adults, according to University of Sydney PhD student Richard McGee.

Dr McGee, who has just been awarded a major scholarship to continue his research in paediatric surgery, says this comparatively small number of surgeries is one of the key reasons why the field is often overlooked by researchers.

"Very little good quality research is being done in paediatric surgery compared to other specialities," he says.

"It is quite a small speciality, and in Australia there are not many people working in the field." Dr McGee says common surgeries in children range from relatively minor procedures for hernias and ingrown toenails, to more complicated surgeries for heart and gastrointestinal problems.

Dr McGee, a PhD student and tutor at the Sydney School of Public Health, received the only scholarship in paediatric surgery in the latest round of postgraduate scholarships announced by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) earlier this month.

Dr McGee, who studied medicine in Ireland before moving to Australia, is currently surveying the quality and quantity of research in the area, which he hopes will see research standards improve and ultimately surgical treatments becoming more evidence based and effective.

The scholarship, worth $80,938 and announced by the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, will allow him to continue his work for the next two years.

Mr Butler said the scholarship recipients will contribute to "cutting edge research that comes from a highly skilled research workforce".

Provided by University of Sydney