Dr. Richard Chen

Dr Richard Chen is a specialist Upper Gastrointestinal, Bariatric and General Surgeon with expertise in the surgical management of conditions affecting the oesophagus and stomach, as well as obesity. His practice also includes laparoscopic surgery for general surgical conditions such as gallstone disease, inguinal hernias and incisional hernias.

Dr Chen graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2004 and completed his General Surgical training with Alfred Health in 2012. He then undertook three years of post-fellowship training in oesophago-gastric and bariatric surgery. During his first year, he worked as a bariatric fellow at the Alfred Hospital and completed a Master of Surgery at Monash University, researching gastro-oesophageal reflux physiology in bariatric patients. His research also involved oesophageal physiology studies, including high-resolution manometry and ambulatory reflux monitoring.

Dr Chen subsequently completed the two-year Australia & New Zealand Gastric & Oesophageal Surgery Association (ANZGOSA) Post-Fellowship Training Program. His first ANZGOSA fellowship was at Concord Hospital, where he developed further experience in benign oesophago-gastric conditions including hiatus hernia and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, alongside bariatric surgery. In 2015, he completed his second ANZGOSA fellowship at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle upon Tyne, gaining further experience in benign and malignant conditions of the oesophagus and stomach.

He has worked as a consultant surgeon in upper GI, bariatric, trauma and general surgery at the Alfred Hospital since 2016. Dr Chen currently leads the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Oesophagectomy Program and previously served as clinical lead for the Oesophagogastric Cancer Service Redesign Program in 2018 and 2019.