Tom Reeve Academic Surgical Clinic · St Leonards
Specialist Hepato-Biliary & General Surgeon
If you’ve been advised that surgery may be appropriate for a gallbladder, hernia or liver condition, Dr Tom Hugh provides specialist assessment and treatment. With extensive experience in upper gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary and general surgery, he consults in St Leonards and operates at Royal North Shore Hospital and North Shore Private Hospital.
Tom Hugh is a specialist upper gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary and general surgeon with extensive experience in the management of gallbladder, liver and abdominal wall conditions. He believes patients should have a clear understanding of their diagnosis and treatment options before deciding on surgery, and aims to explain these in straightforward, easy-to-understand language.
Tom Hugh treats patients through Royal North Shore Hospital and North Shore Private Hospital. Consultations are held in the Tom Reeve Academic Surgical Clinic on the ground floor of the Kolling Building, Royal North Shore Hospital campus, St Leonards.
Read more about Tom→Being told you need surgery is a lot to take in. Each page below is written for that moment, with clear explanations, no jargon, and honest answers about what your operation really involves.
Alongside his surgical practice, Tom is Chair of Surgery at the University of Sydney’s Northern Clinical School and helped found a surgical training institute. Since 2016 he has run an audit unit that tracks how his patients recover, so the advice he gives is grounded in real results, not guesswork.
319
Research publications on ResearchGate (10,325 citations; h-index >39)
3,000+
Keyhole gallbladder operations Tom has performed
2016
Year Tom set up an audit unit to track how his patients actually do
Most people arrive after a scan and a worrying chat with their GP. Here’s how things unfold from there, so there are no surprises.
Your GP or specialist sends a referral and any imaging. The rooms confirm receipt within one business day.
Tom reviews scans and history, examines you, and lays out the options. There is no obligation to proceed.
You take the recommendation home, talk it through, and come back with questions. Second opinions are welcome.
At RNSH or North Shore Private. Most gallbladder and hernia operations are day stay or single overnight.
Wound care, activity, and a follow-up appointment. The rooms remain the contact path if anything changes.
Tom welcomes referrals from GPs, physicians, and surgical colleagues across Sydney and northern NSW. Reception and admin teams will find channels, checklists, and urgency guidance on the referrals page.
If it’s urgent, please call the rooms directly and we’ll do our best to give you an answer the same day.
If you have severe stomach pain, can’t stop vomiting, or have a fever, yellowing skin, or symptoms that are getting worse quickly, don’t wait. Call the rooms during business hours. Outside those hours, go straight to your nearest emergency department and ask staff to contact the on-call HPB team at Royal North Shore Hospital.
Royal North Shore Hospital for public patients, and North Shore Private Hospital if you have private cover. Both are on Sydney's north shore.
For almost all appointments, yes. A standard GP referral lasts twelve months, and a specialist referral lasts three. If you're unsure, just call the rooms and we'll point you in the right direction.
Absolutely. Bring along your scans and any recent reports and the team will get you an appointment quickly.
Yes, for follow-ups and some second opinions. The rooms will let you know if it suits your situation.