Prof. Eugene Ek

Upper Extremity Reconstructive Surgery Hand, Elbow and Shoulder Surgery

Prof. Eugene Ek

MBBS, PhD, FRACS, FAOrthA

Orthopaedic Surgeon
Upper Extremity Reconstructive Surgery
Hand, Elbow and Shoulder Surgery

03 9573 9678

Prof. Eugene Ek is a fellowship-trained hand, elbow and shoulder surgeon, specialising in arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery of the upper extremity and started at the Melbourne Orthopaedic Group in September 2013.

Dr. Ek grew up in Melbourne, Australia and received his Medical Degree with Honours from the University of Melbourne in 2001. He completed his internship and basic surgical training at St. Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, and in 2008, completed a PhD in bone and tumour biology at the University of Melbourne for research into osteosarcomas, under the supervision of Prof. Peter Choong. Eugene then went on to finish his orthopaedic training in Melbourne through the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) and became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in 2010.

Dr. Ek subsequently spent a further 3 years of subspecialist fellowship training in shoulder, elbow and hand surgery, including 12 months as an Honorary Hand Fellow at St. Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and Dandenong Hospital under the supervision of Dr. Stephen Tham.

He then continued his training overseas, completing a 6 month fellowship in shoulder and elbow surgery at the Balgrist University Hospital, in Zurich, Switzerland under Prof. Christian Gerber and Prof. Dominik Meyer. This was followed by a further 6 month fellowship in shoulder surgery at the Harvard Shoulder Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA under the supervision of Dr. Jon J.P. Warner. Both these fellowships focused on advanced shoulder arthroscopy and complex reconstructive surgery of the shoulder.

Finally, Dr. Ek went on to work at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), Weill Cornell Medical School in New York, where he completed a 12 month ACGME-accredited fellowship in hand, upper extremity and microsurgery. During this fellowship, he was actively involved in the care of professional athletes from several sporting teams including the New York Giants (NFL), New York Mets (MLB), New York Knicks (NBA), and PGA tour golfers. In addition, Dr. Ek gained extensive experience in complex elbow surgery, under the direction of Dr. Robert Hotchkiss.

In 2019, he was selected as the Shoulder and Elbow Society of Australia (SESA) Travelling Fellow to the Korean Arthroscopy Society (KAS). And in 2020, he was awarded the prestigious ABC Travelling Fellowship to the USA and Canada, representing the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA).

Dr. Ek continues to be active in both teaching and in clinical and biomechanical research. He has published over 120 peer-reviewed research articles and multiple book chapters and is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences. He has public/academic appointments at the Austin Hospital, University of Melbourne and at Dandenong Hospital, Monash University, where he holds the position of Professor (Adjunct Clinical) within the Department of Surgery, Monash University. Eugene is also actively involved in training both local and overseas surgeons and is currently a co-supervisor of the Melbourne Orthopaedic Group Shoulder/Upper limb Fellowship and also the Dandenong Hand Fellowship. 

In addition, he has served on the Executive Committee of the Victorian Branch of the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) as the Scientific Secretary, and currently he is on the Board of Directors of the Victorian Orthopaedic Foundation. In 2019, he graduated from a 12 month postgraduate Surgical Leadership Program (SLP18-19) at Harvard Medical School, Boston.


Education & Training

Melbourne Medical School (MBBS, Hons), University of Melbourne (2001)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Melbourne (2008)
Orthopaedic Specialist Training (FRACS), AOA/RACS (2007-2010)
Hand Fellowship, Dandenong & St. Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne (2010-11)
Shoulder and Elbow Fellowship, Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland (2011)
Shoulder Fellowship, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA (2012)
Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, USA (2012-13)

Current Positions:

Memberships:

  • Fellow, Australian Orthopaedic Association (FAOrthA)
  • Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS)
  • Member, Shoulder and Elbow Society of Australia (SESA)
  • International Member, American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH)
  • Member, Victorian Hand Surgery Society (VHSS)
  • Member, Victorian Shoulder and Elbow Society (VSES)
  • International Member, American Association of Orthopaedic Surgery (AAOS)
  • Member, AO Trauma Foundation
  • Alumni Member, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Hand Club
  • Alumni Member, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Alumni Association
  • Member, # Hand Club
  • Alumni Member, Harvard Medical School
  • Alumni Member, Harvard University
  • Corresponding Member, Korean Shoulder and Elbow Society
  • Corresponding Member, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES)

Watch Eugene's story which was profiled as part of the 'Victorian. And Proud of It' campaign.

LOCATIONS – Windsor, Hawthorn, Melbourne CBD


Consulting Locations

Windsor
Hawthorn
Melbourne CBD


Operating Locations

The Avenue Hospital, Windsor
Glenferrie Private Hospital, Hawthorn


Public Hospital Appointments

Austin Health
Dandenong Hospital, Monash Health
WINDSOR (Main Rooms) / The Avenue Hospital
HAWTHORN / Glenferrie Private Hospital
MELBOURNE CBD / Collins Street