About us

With over 15 years of experience as an endocrine (thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal) surgeon, A/Professor Lee specialises in minimally invasive (keyhole) and open surgery of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands. He is able to help patients determine if surgery is required, and if so, what is the most appropriate procedure for them. He also takes pride in being the patient’s advocate and has a strong focus in personalised, patient-centred care.

Clinical Practice

As an endocrine surgeon, A/Professor James Lee is a high-volume surgeon in thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal surgery. As a thyroid surgeon, James offers partial or total thyroidectomy for patients with thyroid nodules, multinodular goitre, thyroid cancer and Graves’ disease. In addition, James also offers lymph node surgery for patients with papillary and medullary thyroid cancer, when it may be necessary to remove the lymph nodes in the central or lateral compartments of the neck. All patients undergoing thyroidectomy will routinely have neuro-monitoring of the recurrent and external laryngeal nerves (nerves of the voice box). As a result of meticulous technique and advanced neuro-monitoring technology, long-term injury to the laryngeal nerves occurs in < 1% of patients. 

A/Professor Lee performs minimally invasive (keyhole) parathyroidectomy for suitable patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and keyhole adrenal surgery utilising either laparoscopic or retroperitoneal endoscopic access for patients with small functional adrenal tumours. Open adrenalectomy and retroperitoneal lymph node surgery is undertaken for adrenal cancers and malignant phaeochromocytoma. 

A/Professor Lee is a specialist with a private practice at Epworth Richmond, Epworth Eastern and Knox Private Hospital, and a Visiting Surgeon at The Alfred Hospital and Monash Medical Centre.

Education

After obtaining his medical degree at the University of Melbourne, A/Prof. Lee completed his Endocrine Surgery Fellowships in Melbourne at the Austin Hospital, and in Sydney in 2010, at the Royal Northshore Hospital. He also completed a PhD through the University of Sydney, examining the role of microRNA biomarkers in the management of papillary thyroid cancer. His extensive research and practice has made him a world recognised academic endocrine surgeon (thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal specialist). Following the completion of his PhD, he was appointed to The Alfred Hospital and Monash Medical Centre as a specialist endocrine surgeon, also starting his private practice at Epworth Richmond, Epworth Eastern and Knox Private Hospital.

Mentorship

As an accomplished endocrine surgery specialist, A/Professor Lee trains and educates medical students, residents, registrars and fellows. He is a member of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Court of Examiners, examining surgeons qualifying for their General Surgery Fellowship. Additionally, he supervises PhD students undertaking a doctoral thesis in research topics related to thyroid cancer.

Research and Publications

A/Professor James Lee is a researcher within the Monash University School of Translational Medicine. He has co-authored over 80 original peer-reviewed publications in clinical and scientific journals, and 3 book chapters. He and his trainees have given more than a hundred research presentations at national and international meetings focusing on clinical outcomes of surgery and the molecular biology of thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal cancers. Under his mentorship, many of his trainees and students have been awarded research prizes, or become accomplished surgeons.

A list of his publications and presentations can be found here.