Professor Falk is a surgeon with more than 27 years' experience in laparoscopic surgery. He is Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Sydney, and a Senior Consultant at Concord Repatriation General Hospital. He has published innovative research articles on upper gastrointestinal diseases including reflux, hiatus hernia, giant hiatus hernia, splenectomy, oesophageal cancer, stomach cancer and laparoscopic surgery.
Professor Falk (MBBS DMedSc FRACS FACS) graduated from the University of Sydney in 1979 and obtained the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1986. He is also a Fellow of the Royal American College of Surgeons. He pursued post-fellowship training in Upper GI Surgery in the UK from 1987 to 1988, the USA in 1988, and Hong Kong in 1990. He is currently a Senior Consultant in Upper GI Surgery at Concord Hospital and an Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Sydney since 1999.
Professor Falk has pursued techniques in improving curability by surgery for oesophageal, gastric and pancreatic cancer, and pioneered advances in keyhole / laparoscopic surgery for the past 25 years. He is employing minimally invasive surgical techniques for gastric and oesophageal cancer resection, as well as laparoscopic removal of GIST tumour, gastric and duodenal polyps and pancreatic cysts. Professor Falk has had extensive experience with hiatus hernia and reflux surgery, with more than 3500 cases completed by laparoscopy. He is referred both straightforward and complex cases and also recurrent problems, statewide.
Professor Falk has long term involvement in Barrett's Oesophagus, Barrett's Carcinoma, and prevention of oesophageal carcinoma. Recent progress has been achieved in diagnosis of laryngo-pharyngeal reflux ("reflux cough") utilising new diagnostic regimens. He has completed multiple reviews of his personal series of oesophageal cancer resections with 45% 5 year survival (compared with contemporary series of 20-25%).
Professor Falk has had a longstanding innovative approach to development in surgery and was recently the visiting guest Professor of the Society of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons of England (AUGIS) in Leeds, UK (2016).
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
Professor Falk has conducted, over the past twenty-five years, many independent and collaborative research projects and medical studies on the topics listed below. He has attended conferences, conventions and workshops as a guest and presenter both nationally and worldwide.
Topics include:
- Improving Survival in Oesophageal Gastric Carcinoma
- Minimally Invasive Oesophageal Surgery
- Cardiac Physiology of Giant Hiatus Hernia
- Improving the Recurrence Rates in Surgery for Giant Hiatus Hernia
- Improved Efficacy of Anti-Reflux Surgery
- Endoscopic Eradication of Barrett’s Oesophagus: HALO/EMR
- Reflux Related Cough
- Surgery of the Spleen
- Gastric Carcinoma
For a full list of publications, please visit Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=_bS3cG0AAAAJ&hl=en
MOST RECENT PUBLICATIONS
- Positive effect of erythromycin on ineffective oesophageal motility in laryngopharyngeal reflux patients: room for a novel treatment?
Sime, F., Tovmassian, D. & Falk, G.L. (2024) Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging, 1–6. - Solid versus liquid pulmonary micro-aspiration of reflux disease. Does it make a difference in determining the need for intervention?.
Burton, Leticiaa; Khoma, Oleksandrb; Gooley, Susannahc; Falk, Gregory L.c,d; Weerasinghe, Damindaa; Van der Wall, Hansa,b. Nuclear Medicine Communications 46(1):p 7-14, January 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/MNM.0000000000001914 - Scintigraphic imaging of extra-esophageal manifestation of gastresophageal reflux disease.
Van der Wall, H., Burton, L., Cooke, M., Falk, G.L., Tovmassian, D. and Conway, J.J. (2025), The Laryngoscope, 135: 73-79. https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.31748
SELECTED ARTICLES
* (Cough + Reflux Disease)
-
Preoperative cisplatin, flurourcacil, and docetaxel with or without radiotherapy after poor early response to cisplatin and fluorouracil for resectable oesophageal adenocarcinoma (AGITG DOCTOR): results from a multicentre randomised controlled phase II trial
Barbour AP, et al. Annals of Oncology, 2020, 31(2):236-245Oesophageal Cancer -
Does age affect oesophagectomy survival: a cohort study
Park J, Van der Wall H, Kennedy CW, Falk GL. ANZ Journal of Surgery, 2020Oesophageal Cancer -
Clinicopathologic and survival differences between adenocarcinoma of the distal oesophagus and gastro‐oesophageal junction
Paredes SR, Wong NLJ, Khoma O, Park JS, Kennedy CW, Van der Wall H, Falk GL. ANZ Journal of Surgery, 2022Oesophageal Cancer -
Extensive lymphadenectomy may improve survival in node negative oesophageal cancer
Khoma O, Paredes SR, Park JS, Kennedy CW, Falk GL. Scientific Reports, 2024, 14(1):2711Oesophageal Cancer -
The influence of socioeconomic disadvantage on short- and long-term outcomes after oesophagectomy for cancer: an Australian multicentre study
Park JS, Polikarpova A, Leibman S, Laurence JM, Smith G, Falk GL, Sandroussi C. ANZ Journal of Surgery, 2024Oesophageal Cancer -
Sarcopenia impacts perioperative and survival outcomes after esophagectomy for cancer: a multicenter study
Park JS, Colby M, Seyfi D, Leibman S, Laurence JM, Smith G, Falk GL, Sandroussi C. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 2024Oesophageal Cancer -
Predictors of reflux aspiration and laryngopharyngeal reflux
Khoma O, Burton L, Falk MG, Van der Wall H, Falk GL. Esophagus, 2020, 17(3):355-362Reflux Throat -
Esophageal clearance in Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease: correlation of reflux scintigraphy and 24-hour Impedance/pH in a Cohort of Refractory symptomatic patients
Burton L, Falk GL, Baumgart K, Beattie J, Simpson S, Van der Wall H. Mol Imaging Radionucl Ther, 2020, 29:7-16Reflux Throat -
How effective is the control of laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms by fundoplication? Symptom score analysis
Falk GL, Gooley SC, Church NG, Rangiah DS. European Surgery, 2020, 52:123-126Reflux Throat -
A new diagnostic paradigm for laryngopharyngeal reflux disease: correlation of impedance-pH monitoring and digital reflux scintigraphy results
Park J, Khoma O, Burton L, Van der Wall H, Falk GL. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngology, 2021Reflux Throat -
Different Clinical symptom patterns in patients with reflux micro-aspiration
Khoma O, Park J, Lee FM, Van der Wall H, Falk GL. European Respiratory Society Open Research, 2021Reflux Throat -
Benchmarking of a Simple Scintigraphy test for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease That Assesses Oesophageal Disease and Its Pulmonary Complications
Burton L, Falk GL, Parsons S, Cusi M, Van der Wall H. Molecular Imaging and Radionuclide Therapy, 2018, 27:113–120Reflux Lung -
Modified Reflux Scintigraphy detects pulmonary micro aspiration in severe gastro-oesophageal and laryngopharyngeal reflux disease
Park J, Burton L, Van der Wall H, Falk GL. Lung, 2021, 199:139–145Reflux Lung -
Acute oxygen desaturation characterizes pulmonary aspiration in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease and laryngopharyngeal reflux
Weerasinghe DP, Burton L, Chicco P, Pearson M, Mackey DJ, Falk GL. Physiological Reports, 2022, 10:e15367Reflux Lung -
The pulmonary sequelae of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
Goonawardhana D, Falk G, Van der Wall H. Diseases of the Esophagus, 2022, 35(Suppl_1)Reflux Lung -
Laparoscopic fundoplication effective in treating reflux micro-aspiration
Khoma O, Van der Wall H, Falk GL. Diseases of the Esophagus, 2022, 35(Suppl_2)Reflux Lung -
Laryngopharyngeal reflux and reflux cough: a diagnostic conundrum
Falk GL, Livesey J, Gooley SC. Medicine Today, 2023, 24(8):10–17Reflux Lung -
Solid versus liquid pulmonary micro-aspiration of reflux disease: Does it make a difference in determining the need for intervention?
Burton L, Khoma O, Gooley S, Falk GL, Weerasinghe D, Van der Wall H. Nuclear Medicine Communications, 2025, 46(1):7–14Reflux Lung -
Scintigraphic imaging of extra-esophageal manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux disease
Van der Wall H, Burton L, Cooke M, Falk GL, Tovmassian D, Conway JJ. The Laryngoscope, 2024, 135:73–79Reflux Lung -
Is repairing giant hiatal hernia in patients over 80 worth the risk?
Khoma O, Mugino M, Falk GL. The Surgeon, 2020, 18(4):197–201Massive Hiatus Hernia -
Dyspnoea improves following composite repair of giant hiatus hernia
Khoma O, Wong NLJ, Mugino M, Khoma MJ, Van der Wall H, Falk GL. European Respiratory Journal, 2022, 60(Suppl 66):1698Massive Hiatus Hernia -
Trends in outcomes of 862 giant hiatus hernia repairs over 30 years
Nguyen CL, Tovmassian D, Isaacs A, Gooley S, Falk GL. Hernia, 2023Massive Hiatus Hernia -
Recurrence in Paraesophageal Hernia: Patient Factors and Composite Surgical Repair in 862 Cases
Nguyen CL, Tovmassian D, Zhou M, Seyf D, Isaacs A, Gooley S, Falk GL. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 2023Massive Hiatus Hernia -
Durability of radiofrequency ablation for long-segment and ultralong-segment Barrett’s esophagus over 10 years
Nguyen CL, Tovmassian D, Zhou M, Seyfi D, Gooley S, Falk GL. British Journal of Surgery, 2023, 110(8)Barrett's Oesophagus
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