Mr Krishna Epari
I always wanted to be a surgeon. Growing up, my father was an anaesthetist and my mother a theatre nurse. So I had a fascination with surgery from a young age.
Krishna co-founded Upper GI West with fellow Specialist, Mr Alan Thomas in 2008. Their practice has grown exponentially to offer a multi-disciplinary approach – offering their patients an all-encompassing service to provide the best possible outcomes; including multiple specialist surgeons, bariatric physicians and dietitians.
Krishna is an Australian trained Surgeon. He was born and educated in Hobart where he graduated with Honours from the University of Tasmania. He relocated to Victoria to undertake a Fellowship in General Surgery. He subsequently completed a three-year sub-specialty training program of Upper Gastrointestinal, Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary and Obesity Surgery at Box Hill, Fremantle and St Vincent’s Hospitals.
Krishna returned to Perth in 2007 as a specialist Surgeon and has become a leading Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon in Australia with expertise across both Oesophago-Gastric and Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery which are now separate disciplines. He has performed over 500 major resectional procedures for Cancers of the Oesophagus, Stomach, Liver and Pancreas. He has served a full term on the executive board of the Australian and New Zealand Gastric and Oesophageal Surgeons Association (ANZGOSA). He has been the Clinical Lead for the Western Australia Clinical Oncology Group (WACOG) Upper Gastrointestinal Tumour Collaborative. He has been a surgical advisor to the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Structured Pathology Reporting of cancer project.
Krishna has a keen interest in minimally invasive surgery and application of technology to improve patient outcomes. He has developed very advanced laparoscopic skills and applied them to the most complex procedures including oesophageal, pancreatic and liver resections in addition to complex bariatric and revisional procedures. Â He was the first Upper GI and Bariatric Surgeon trained and performing Robotic Surgery in Western Australia. In addition to diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy (Gastroscopy and Colonoscopy) he is one of few surgeons trained in ERCP procedures.
Krishna is a leader in minimally invasive Upper GI and Bariatric Surgery and has continued to innovate and bring the latest advances to Western Australia.
2005 - 1st Surgeon to perform Laparoscopic Distal Pancreatectomy in WA
2007 - 1st Surgeon to perform Laparoscopic Liver Resection in WA
2010 - 1st Surgeon to perform Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for cancer in WA
2011 - 1st Surgical Team to perform totally Minimally Invasive Oesophagectomy in WA
2014 - 1st Surgical Team to perform Laparoscopic Assisted Whipples Pancreaticoduodenectomy in WA
2019 – 1st Surgeon to perform Robotic Bariatric Surgery in WA
2019 – 1st Surgeon to perform Robotic Sleeve Gastrectomy in WA
2019 – 1st Surgeon to perform Robotic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass in WA
2019 – 1st Surgeon to perform Robotic Single Anastomosis Gastric Bypass in WA
2019 – 1st Surgeon to perform Robotic Single Anastomosis Duodenal Switch (SIPS/SADI-S) in WA
2019 – 1st Surgeon to perform Robotic Gastrectomy for cancer in WA
Krishna has extensive experience managing malignancies of the Oesophagus, Stomach, Pancreas and Liver and has interests in primary and revisional Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, primary and revisional Hiatus Hernia repair, Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease, Gallstones and Abdominal Hernias.
I co-founded Upper GI West with fellow Specialist, Mr Alan Thomas in 2008. We offer a multi-disciplinary approach to provide the best possible outcomes for our patients.
Types of surgery
Qualifications
Bachelor of Medicine
- Bachelor of Medical Science BMedSci (1994)
- Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery with Honours MBBS (Hons) (1997)
Registration
- Medical Board of Australia
Memberships and Roles
Professional memberships
- Australian Medical Association
- Australian & New Zealand Metabolic and Obesity Surgery Society (ANZMOSS)
- Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Gastric and Oesophageal Surgery Association (AANZGOSA)
- Australian & Aotearoa New Zealand, Hepatic, Pancreatic & Biliary Association (AANZHPBA)
- Avant Mutual Group Limited
- RACS Section of Upper GI, HPB and Obesity Surgery
- American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS)
- International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO)
- The International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA)
- The International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus (ISDE)
Positions Held
- Consultant Upper GI/HPB Surgeon, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth (2015 – 2020)
- Consultant Upper GI/HPB Surgeon, Fremantle Hospital, Perth (2007 – 2015)
- ANZGOSA Board member (2010 - 2018)
- ANZGOSA Database Subcommittee
- WACOG Clinical Lead - Upper GI Tumour Collaborative (2016-2018)
- SJOG Murdoch Theatre Subcommittee
- SJOG Murdoch Robotic Steering Committee member (2019 - Current)
- RACS ASC Perth Scientific Convenor – Upper GI Section (2010)