Capricorn Bariatric & General Surgery

19/12/2025

🎄🎅🏽HOLIDAY OFFICE CLOSURE🎅🏽🎄

Please note that our office is now closed for the holiday season and will reopen on Monday, 12th January 2026, at 9am.

We appreciate the continued support from our community throughout 2025 and look forward to providing ongoing care in 2026. We wish you a happy and healthy holiday season.

🚨For urgent care during the holiday season, please visit your GP, local urgent care clinic, or Mater Rockhampton Emergency Care Centre.
In case of emergencies, please dial 000 or attend your local emergency department.

🩺 If you are within 30 days of having had surgery and have any concerns or queries, please call PODSS (Post Operative Discharge Support Service) on 0428 871 924. They are available to support you 7 days a week between 8am-4pm.

Thank you again for a wonderful year of allowing our team to care for you. We look forward to seeing you in 2026. 🎆

11/11/2025

We are delighted to warmly welcome Dr Chris Lewis, an experienced and compassionate Upper GI & General Surgeon, to our team!

Dr Lewis joins us part-time in private practice, bringing a wealth of expertise and a passion for delivering exceptional surgical care.

🎓 About Dr Lewis:
Dr Lewis graduated from Manchester University Medical School in 1997 and completed postgraduate surgical training across the UK, New Zealand, and Melbourne. In 2006, he earned a Doctorate in Postgraduate Medicine for his research into the molecular biology of oesophageal injury, before completing his specialist training in 2010.

🩺 Over his distinguished career, Dr Lewis has held consultant roles in the northwest of England and spent nine years at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, affiliated with Oxford University. During this time, he:
• Established the regional severe pancreatitis service
• Led the abdominal wall hernia and reconstruction program
• Helped elevate the Acute General Surgery department to national recognition

In 2023, Dr Lewis relocated to Central Queensland, where he now leads the Benign Upper Gastrointestinal Service at Rockhampton Base Hospital. He continues to perform the full spectrum of abdominal wall reconstruction procedures and remains actively involved in emergency surgery.

Outside of work, Dr Lewis and his family are enjoying life in CQ and embracing all that our vibrant local community has to offer.

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Dr Lewis — we’re thrilled to have him on board and proud to offer specialist surgical care right here in CQ, without the need to travel.

👨‍⚕️✨ Welcome to the team, Dr Lewis!

02/11/2025

October Photo Dump 📸🎥🏥
What a month it’s been! From on-call shifts and world championship cycling races to full consulting days and clinics packed with anorectal physiology and manometry — October has been non-stop.
With just six weeks left of consulting and operating before we take a well-deserved break, our team is pushing hard through the final stretch. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the dedication, teamwork, and hard work that’s gone into the past month.
📍Posted with patient consent.
Surgery performed by Dr Andrew Russell (MED0001358189), Dr Michael Lamparelli (MED0002395295) & Dr Chris Lewis (MED0002716741)

19/10/2025

Today Dr Russell represented Australia in the Gran Fondo World Cycling Championships for his age group, cycling 131km along the Great Ocean Road. We are so proud of him! So much hard work, dedication and effort has gone into his preparation for this big race all whilst still running a full time surgical & consulting schedule 🚴🏼‍♂️🛣️🏅🚵🏼‍♂️✨ Well Done! Unfortunately no rest days for the busy man who will be back in clinic Tuesday 😆

12/10/2025

🌟Meet Dr Andrew Russell – Your Local Specialist General & Bariatric Surgeon in Rockhampton!

Since 1993, Dr. Russell has been providing expert, compassionate surgical care to the CQ community. He specialises in:
✅ Weight Loss Surgery
✅ Hernia & Gallbladders
✅ Breast Cancer Surgery
✅ Colonoscopy & Gastroscopy
✅ Thyroid & Skin Cancer Treatment

Working full-time, Dr. Russell is here for all your general, endoscopic & weight loss surgical needs.

📋 Ask your GP for a referral to see a surgeon who truly supports your community.

15/09/2025

It’s been a full and exciting month here at the clinic, and we’re thrilled to share some highlights from our growing team and recent events:

👨‍⚕️ Welcome, Dr Chris Lewis!
We’re delighted to welcome Dr Chris Lewis to the team! An experienced Upper GI and General Surgeon from the UK, Dr Lewis now calls CQ home with his family. He brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to our community, and we’re excited for the care he’ll provide to local patients.

📚 Brisbane Functional Colorectal Course
Our nursing team had the incredible opportunity to attend the Brisbane Functional Colorectal Course, with Dr Michael Lamparelli presenting at the event. A big thank you to QPFC for hosting such an informative and enjoyable experience — and for the delicious dinner at Ciao Papi!

🚴‍♂️ Dr Andrew Russell
Dr Russell is back with full surgical lists and busy on-call weekends — all while preparing for the World Championship Cycling Race on the Great Ocean Road this October. We’re in awe of his dedication both in and out of the operating theatre!

🩺 New Anorectal Physiology Testing
We’re proud to now offer anorectal manometry and physiology testing using the THD Anopress system — the only one of its kind in Central Queensland, available through Dr Lamparelli.

🏥 Dr Shashank Desai
Dr Desai has commenced weekly consulting from our practice and is now operating at Mater Private Rockhampton and Hillcrest Private Hospital. We’re pleased to have his expertise available to more patients across CQ.

🔍 Dr Howard Joy
Dr Joy continues to support our region through scope lists as part of the Surgery Connect program, helping to ease public hospital waiting lists and provide timely care to more patients.

It’s certainly been a productive and rewarding month for the whole team — and we’re proud to keep growing, learning, and supporting our wonderful Central Queensland community.

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31/08/2025

Great news for the Central Queensland community! 🏥 I-MED Radiology at Rockhampton Mater Hospital is launching the region's first PET/CT service.

This is a huge step forward for local cancer care. Patients will no longer need to travel out of the area for these essential scans, which are used to help doctors with diagnosing, staging, and monitoring cancer treatment🎗️

I-MED Radiology is now accepting referrals for appointments for eligible patients, with scans beginning mid-September this year. This is a fantastic advancement that will make a real difference for our patients and their families❤️

I-med Radiology, Rockhampton Mater Hosspital
Mater Private Hospital Rockhampton

07/08/2025

Our very own Dr Andrew Russell catching up with Dr Jason Wong at the 2025 ANZMOSS conference.

Together, Andrew & Jason offer CQ and the surrounding area a full range of Bariatric care and treatments all from Suite 3 at the Mater Medical Suites at Mater Private Hospital Rockhampton

At ANZMOSS conference with Dr Andrew Russell - we are the Bariatric / weight loss surgeons for Rockhampton. Together we offer a full range of weight loss procedures from sleeve, gastric bypass and revisional surgery with a comprehensive follow-up care program to help our patients get the best outcomes.bariatricgeneralsurgery

19/07/2025

Always so proud to support our local community.

We are looking forward to watching all the action of the AusCycling Queensland State Cycling Titles for Gravel Race and Cyclocross on 9th & 10th August right here in Rockhampton hosted by the Rockhampton Cycling Club 🚴🏼‍♂️🏅

🚨 GOLD SPONSOR Shout Out – Dr Andrew Russell Capricorn Bariatric & General Surgery

We’re thrilled to welcome Dr Andrew Russell as a ✨GOLD SPONSOR✨ for the 2025 QLD State Gravel & Cyclocross Titles this August! 🙌

A dedicated General, Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgeon, Dr Russell has been proudly serving Central Queensland for decades. Originally from Brisbane, Dr Russell and his family have called Rockhampton home since 1993, raising their three kids here and giving back to the local community through his surgical expertise and care at the Mater Private Hospital Rockhampton.

When he’s not helping his patients achieve life-changing results, you’ll find Dr Russell out on the bike or the golf course, so it’s no surprise he’s backing cycling in CQ!

Thanks Dr Russell for your incredible support by helping us bring top-level racing to our region!

🔗 https://capricornobesitysurgery.com.au/
📍Suite 3, Mater Medical Centre, Rockhampton

18/07/2025

How remarkable is technological innovation! A very big well done to our surgeon Dr Lamparelli who dedicated endless amounts of hard work to deliver and implement this technology here in CQ to better support his colleagues and himself within the public health sector. Impressive to have rural facilities supported by a video feed to our big metro facilities. Game changing!

New telehealth technology allows a neurosurgeon to "scrub in" from Brisbane via live feed to assist a Rockhampton general surgeon relieve a brain bleed, in an Australian public hospital first.

06/07/2025

Looking to achieve your ideal weight and lifelong health? Enquire today to learn more about the weight loss surgery solutions we can offer you. Our experienced team are always happy to provide all the information you need and help every step of the way 📞📧🩺🏥