MY TRAVEL & MISSION INTERESTS:
A major life focus for me is the Nazareth Hospital, Israel, where I went to work as a general surgeon in 1973 and have visited many times since, doing locum work in surgery and more recently taking volunteer groups called Nazareth Workparties (see my Page of same name) of which I have led 9 such teams since 1988. Closely associated with the Hospital is the Nazareth Village, a reconstruction of first century Nazareth on the hillside outside the Nazareth Hospital, that shows how Jesus would have lived. In Galilee, north-west of Nazareth are the Mar Elias Educational Institutions in the Israeli-Arab Galilean village of Ibillin. The principal has been Archbishop Elias Chacour, whom I am delighted to introduce to more people together with his college and its great work.
Merriill Kitchen
MY FAMILY
My wife, Rev Merrill Kitchen,OAM, is Principal of Churches of Christ Theological College in Mulgrave, Victoria. We have 3 children (Tim, Fiona & Lisa) who are all married and we have 6 lovely grand-children- Talana (born to Tim & Lyndelle); Maddie, Millie & Liam (born to Fiona & Darryl); and Archer & Alexandra (born to Lisa & Earle). Our oldest grandchild is Maddie (Madeleine) aged 11. We both are members of Doncaster Church of Christ where I am involved in playing piano or organ at 9am Sunday services. Merrill and I have many friends at this church and I attend a small group on Wednesday evenings
MY SURGERY & RESEARCH INTERESTS:
In my research in surgery at St Vincents Hospital I showed that surgeons in Victoria, after the evidence and guidelines became available, stopped doing surgery to remove axillary lymph glands for ductal carcinoma-in-situ of the breast(DCIS), since DCIS is a non-invasive cancer and does not spread to the lymph glands. I recommended sentinel node biopsy for these cases when extensive DCIS is present. I also researched Tubular Carcinoma of the Breast – a study of patients on multicentre trials that shows that tubular carcinoma is a favourable tumour with a good prognosis even if it spreads to a lymph gland (usually only to one gland), though even then the good prognosis can be improved further by the addition of systemic adjuvant therapy. Another interest is in extensive carcinoma-in-situ (EIC ) around invasive breast cancer predicts for a higher rate of re-excision and/or mastectomy. For patients with EIC, there is an acceptably low risk of local recurrence if margins of excision are clear.
My other main area of Research interest in Surgery is in Pilonidal Sinus . a disease that affects young adults, and sometimes known (incorrectly) as ‘ingrown hairs.’ I believe I have the largest personal series of surgical operations for Pilonidal sinus in Australia. By using the modified Karydakis technique (eccentric ‘elliptical’ excision and primary closure), the recurrence rate can be reduced to almost zero by flattening the cleft to some degree and taking the whole wound off the midline. Modifications are based on the work of John Bascom in Oregon USA, and enable earlier discharge from hospital, and less pain.
