Over the last 100 years, numerous types of implants (i.e. ivory, glass, wool) and injections (i.e. epoxy resin, beeswax, paraffin) have been used in an attempt for breast augmentation but the results were poor. In 1962, the first operation using silicone implants was performed and it revolutionised breast surgery. Breast augmentation surgery (cosmetic and reconstructive) is one of the most common cosmetic surgeries in Australia, United States, and the United Kingdom.

As one of the most common cosmetic surgeries, it is important for doctors and patients to know about the risks and myths of this procedure. In this episode, we discuss breast augmentation surgery and our discussion includes common complications, risks, and breast implantation illness.

This is the story of breast augmentation

Our special guest:

Our special guest is plastic surgeon Dr Andrew Campbell-Lloyd from ACL Plastic surgery in Adelaide.

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The interplay between genetics and medications is important but complex. Pharmacogenomic testing provides doctors with information about how individual patients may respond to certain medications (ie. fast and slow metabolisers).

The RCPA recently released guidelines for doctors about requesting patient pharmacogenomic testing before prescribing some medications. These guidelines have identified 35 medications into three pharmacogenomics testing categories: recommend, consider, and no consensus. We discuss this testing with our guest today.

This is the story of pharmacogenomics.

RCPA guidelines: https://www.rcpa.edu.au/Library/Practising-Pathology/Pharmacogenomic-Indications-in-Australia

Our special guest:

Our special guest is Professor Luke Hessen who is the manager of the Genetics Department at Douglass Hanly Moir and co-Chair of the RCPA Pharmaogenetic Advisory Group.

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In 1924, a surgeon and a pathologist had a conversation about some patients with multiple bowel polyps. The pathologist, Dr Cuthbert Dukes, and the surgeon, Mr JP Lockhart-Mummery, noted that patients had a family history of bowel cancer and could have hundreds of colonic polyps. They, with the help of HRJ Bussey, set up the Polyposis Registry.

The registry collected information about these patients and the families from 1918 to 1954. They found that patients developed polyps in childhood, the risk of affected children was 50%, and cancer took 15 years to develop from first diagnosis. This was clearly a familial disease.

Today, we know this a Familial Adenomatous Polyposis or FAP. The genetic basis for this condition was identified in the 1980s and 1990s. Professor Sir Walter Bodmer led a team to map the location of the Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) gene involved.

This is the story of Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP)

Our special guests:

Professor Sir Walter Bodmer is a professor of the Cancer and Genetics laboratory and Department of Oncology at Oxford University. Areas of research include: HLA, population genetics, Human Genome Project, and mapped the APC gene. He was knighted in 1986.

Dr Tristan Rutland is an Anatomical Pathologists, recipient of the Konrad Muller RCPA Outstanding Teaching Award (2020), and recipient of the Resident Advocate Award from the College of American Pathologists.

Dr Emelia Ip is a trained medical oncologist, staff specialist in cancer genetics, and co-chair of EviQ Adult Cancer Genetics Reference Committee.

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We have come a long way in our understanding of epilepsy and seizures.

Historically, epilepsy was associated with possession and demonic forces.

Modern medicine has helped us to understand that epilepsy is an electrical disorder of the brain that can affect an area or the entire brain itself.

Unfortunately, a lot of stigma and misinformation remains about epilepsy and it is an important condition to be aware of.

This is the story of epilepsy.

Our special guest:

Professor Mark Cook who is the Director of Neurology and Chair of Medicine at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne. He was awarded the Order of Australia in 2023.

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It is evident from paintings that Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo suffered some form of underlying hand pathologies. These have been the focus of discussions and journal articles amongst many academics. Our understanding of different disease processes involving the hand have come a long way. There are a lot of options for patients both medical and surgical that we discuss in this episode.

This is the story of hand pathology

Our special guest:

Dr Paul van Minnen is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who runs his own private practice in Adelaide called ‘Grip surgery’.

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Hyponatraemia, the most common electrolyte disturbance in clinical medicine, is often subtle but can be serious.

In this episode, we trace the surprising history of fluid replacement back to the 1832 cholera riots in Liverpool, where experimental saline saved lives amidst chaos and mistrust.

We then bring the conversation into modern practice, exploring diagnostic steps, common causes, and when GPs should refer patients to hospital.

This is the story of Hyponatraemia.

Our special guest is:

Dr Michael Page, Chemical Pathologist and CEO of Clinipath.

This Medical Life podcast is available on all podcasting services and Spotify. Help support us on our donation page.

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In 1958, Dr Denis Burkitt was working in Uganda when he saw multiple children with large and aggressive jaw tumours. He had never seen anything like this before and he investigated further. Over the next few years, he discovered that these tumours had a geographical distribution across equatorial Africa and also was related to rainfall.

This led to the discovery of an aggressive form of lymphoma that we now know as Burkitt lymphoma as well as the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). It is a remarkable story of intellectual curiosity, scientific discovery, and commitment.

Éanna Mac Cana was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma in 2017. This diagnosis led him to the story of Dr Denis Burkitt and how we first learned about this disease. He has created a documentary using never-before-seen archival footage of Dr Denis Burkitt and his discovery, and included his own journey with this disease.

This is the story of Burkitt lymphoma.

Our special guests include:

Éanna Mac Cana who is a documentary filmmaker from Belfast in Ireland.

Professor Jonathan Bond from the University College Dublin and works in paediatric molecular haemato-oncology.

This Medical Life podcast is available on all podcasting services and Spotify.

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Osteoporosis is a disease that takes years and even decades to develop. Up to 40% of post-menopausal women are affected who have a lifetime risk of fracture of ~40%. Men aged 60 have a 25% lifetime risk of an osteoporotic fracture. Evidence also shows that patients health significantly deteriorates following a significant fracture.

The best treatment for osteoporosis is prevention. We discuss this disease, lifestyle, diagnosis, and management with a panel of experts at COMBATT: Comprehensive Osteoporosis Management workshop, at the Adelaide Convention Centre in February 2025.

This is the story of osteoporosis.

Our special guests:

Our special guests are:

Dr Alecia Macrow: General Practitioner

Dr Nick Kasmeredis: Endocrinologist

Dr Steve Soukoulis: Periodontist

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