Menu

Life Members

Ken Loi (2023) 
7/7/69 – 28/10/23

Ken was a generational surgeon who was exceptional in his craft and was well-loved by all patients. He was also a deeply cherished member of the bariatric community both locally and worldwide. The strong foundation of The St George Obesity Program is testament to his unwavering commitment in the pursuit of excellence and the quality of care to his patients. In addition to his strong clinical ethos, Ken was an avid teacher who devoted his life to continuous education and mentorship.

Ken’s surgical practice spanned more than ten thousand procedures covering primary and revisional bariatric operations along with management of benign and malignant upper gastro-intestinal diseases. His expertise in bariatric surgery was instrumental in setting up the first Australian Centre of Excellence in St George Private Hospital. He was also accredited the status of Master Surgeon in bariatric surgery based on his extensive scope of bariatric cases.

Beyond his surgical practice, he was a regular speaker at both international and national conferences and has published widely in high impact peer review journals relating to bariatric and hernia surgery. Ken devoted his life to being a strong advocate for bariatric surgery and was heavily involved with both the national and international bariatric organisations. During his time as honorary treasurer of ANZMOSS, he was a key member in helping set up the Bariatric Surgical Registry in Australia and assisting the government in developing the public Medicare funded bariatric service.

Being of Asian background, Ken maintained a strong commitment and passion in developing bariatric surgery within the Asian Pacific region. He had worked tirelessly within the IFSO-APC committee for more than a decade in helping set up and grow bariatric services within Asia. Prior to his passing, Ken was President Elect for IFSO-APC and was in line to become the next IFSO-APC President for 2023 until 2025.

His other major achievements included being the first Asian Chair for RACS-NSW (2019-2021) and has been an Executive Member of RACS (Royal Australasian College of Surgeons) for more than ten years. A substantial part of his role during his time within the college was devoted to advancing diversity within RACS and being part of the Surgical Sustainability Working Party in helping shape the next generation of surgeons. During COVID-19, he was also tasked with leading the college within New South Wales in responding to the management of the COVID crisis through the Community of Surgery Practice.

Beyond bariatric surgery, Ken also held a strong passion for hernia surgery and had played a key role in setting up ANZ Hernia Society. He had held the position of Executive Secretary and had been heavily involved with education and publication of Advanced Minimally Invasive Hernia Surgery. This included hosting the regularly held hernia society journal club while playing an integral role in helping set up the Pilot Hernia Surgery Registry.

We bid farewell to a remarkable surgeon and human being in Dr.Ken Loi. In memory of his passing, we celebrate all the brilliant work that he has done for the surgical community. May all of his efforts inspire our country’s surgeons for generations to come.

Harry Frydenberg

Harry Frydenberg AM, Surgeon, Director of the Epworth Centre of Bariatric Surgery in Melbourne, Australia, is a highly experienced Bariatric and General surgeon who has been involved in Bariatric (Obesity) Surgery in Australia for more than 40 years. He performs a wide spectrum of Bariatric Surgery, Gastric Banding, Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy.

He was involved in the early organisation of Bariatric Surgeons in Australia (OSSANZ/ANZMOSS) and is a Past President and Honorary Life Member of the organisation.

He is also involved in the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO), as a Past President and Past Secretary/Treasurer and is a Life Member of the organisation. He is also the Founding President of the IFSO-Asia Pacific Chapter.

Andrew Jamieson

Medical degree from University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital Australia 1972. Fellowship of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and Royal College of Surgeons of England 1980 in General Surgery. Bariatric surgery commenced in 1981 under the mentorship of Michael Long at Royal Melbourne Hospital. Continued public hospital practice in General and Bariatric Surgery at Box Hill Hospital from 1983 to 2005 and also private practice in Melbourne. Founding member of Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand and later President (1993-1998). Founding Vice-President of IFSO (1995-2000) and President 2001. Executive Director of IFSO 2003-2006. Foundation Associate Editor of u0027Obesity Surgeryu0027 journal 1991- 2003. Honorary Member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery 1997. Honorary Member Obesity Surgery Society of India 2003. Life Member Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand 2008. Life member IFSO 2011. Retired from bariatric surgery 2005 and all surgery 2016.​

Paul O’Brien

Paul O'Brien - ANZMOSS Life MemberProfessor Paul O’Brien is the Head of the Centre for Bariatric Surgery in Melbourne, one of the most active clinical centres in Australia.  He is Emeritus Professor of Surgery at Monash University after being Head of the University’s Department of Surgery at the Alfred Hospital from 1986 to 2004.

He founded the Centre for Obesity Research and Education (CORE) at Monash University in 2004 and is now the Emeritus Director. His current principal areas of clinical and research interest are in the morbidity of obesity and the health benefits of weight loss.

He has published more than 300 papers in the medical literature and has been actively involved in conducting postgraduate courses and workshops on obesity and its treatments in Australia, Europe, USA, Asia-Pacific countries, South America and Canada for the past 20 years.

He is Advisory Editor for the journal “Obesity Surgery”. He has been elected to Life Membership of the International Federation of Surgery for Obesity (IFSO) and the Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand (OSSANZ).  He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in June, 2017

Lillian Kow 

Lilian Kow is the Clinical Director of GI Surgery at Division of Surgery & Perioperative Medicine (SAPOM) at the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network

Flinders Medical Centre and Clinical Associate Professor at Flinders University of South Australia.

She has been involved in training surgeons in bariatric and metabolic surgery nationally and internationally. Lilian is a co-founder/Director of the Adelaide Bariatric Centre which was established in 1995 as the first obesity surgical clinic in Adelaide.

She was the President of IFSO 2019-2022, President of the IFSO-APC 2015-2017, and President of the Obesity Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand OSSANZ (ANZMOSS) 2009-2012.  She was also the President of the Australian Chinese Medical Association (SA) 2021-2023.

She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) Queen’s Birthday Honours 2022 for service to bariatric and obesity medicine, the  International LEAD Award for metabolic and bariatric surgery by TREO Foundation formerly American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Foundation 2023 and the RACS Medal of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery 2023.

Rob Fris

John Dixon  (2018)

Merril Bohn  (2023)

Merril has been working in the area of Bariatric surgery as part of her clinical dietetic work for over 30 years. Starting in 2005, Merril was the first Allied Health dietitian representative on the ANZMOSS Executive and has been instrumental in getting the Bariatric Dietitians together and establishing both a networking and clinical program at the ANZMOSS conferences. She has seen enormous growth and changes in bariatric surgery over the past 30 years. From a small group of surgeons (and an even smaller number of Allied Health professionals) doing, now obsolete, surgeries to newer and better operations and an explosion of the patient centered multidisciplinary approach. Merril is thrilled with achieving Life Membership recognition and continues to maintain her interest and expertise in this area.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Upcoming Events

2025 ANZMOSS Conference

CANBERRA, 6 to 8 August 2025
"Shaping a sustainable future"
Event Contact

Event Website

 

Bariatric Surgery Registry

 

MEDICO LEGAL

 

Public Bariatrics

PUBLIC BARIATRICS

ANZMOSS Public Bariatric Surgery Initiative – “Access to All”.

 

Recommendations for Bariatric Surgery in Adolescents in Australia and New Zealand