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 clearly.
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→A diagnosis can bring several treatment options and practical questions. Each page explains the condition, when surgery may be considered and what an operation 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, providing practice data that can be considered alongside published evidence and individual assessment.
3,000+
Keyhole gallbladder operations Tom has performed
319
Research publications on ResearchGate (10,325 citations; h-index >39)
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 your scans and history, examines you, and explains the recommendation, alternatives and risks. There is no obligation to proceed.
You can take the recommendation home, discuss it with the people you trust, and come back to the rooms with questions before deciding.
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.
For an urgent referral, please call the rooms directly so the clinical priority and appropriate pathway can be discussed.
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.
The operation is called laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The gallbladder is removed through several small cuts, and operating time is often around an hour, although the timing and hospital stay vary with the disease and the individual. Read about keyhole gallbladder removal.
Many people go home on the day of surgery or after one night and return gradually to normal activity. Diet, driving and work advice depends on the operation, the severity of disease and your recovery. Read about gallbladder removal recovery.
Gallstones without symptoms can often be observed. Surgery may be considered after recurring pain, inflammation or another gallstone complication, with the decision based on symptoms, imaging, general health and consultation. Read about when gallstones may need surgery.
A lump that appears with standing or straining may be a hernia, although examination is needed to confirm the cause. Observation or repair may be considered according to symptoms, the hernia type, general health and the expected benefits and risks. Read about deciding on hernia surgery.
The referral should include the reason for review, relevant medical history, current medicines and reports from recent scans or tests. The rooms can help if the records are held elsewhere. Read what to bring to an appointment.
Yes. A valid referral and relevant imaging help Tom review the diagnosis and available options.
Telehealth can suit some follow-up appointments and reviews. The rooms will confirm whether it is appropriate for your situation.