Which doctor? Dr Johannes Wittmann

Dr Johannes Wittmann is a Gastroenterologist at Mater Health Services. He can be contacted by telephone +61 7 3840 8196 or +61 7 3163 8111 or mobile 0411 016 496 or fax +61 7 3163 8576.

Why did you choose to specialise in gastroenterology?

I greatly enjoyed my time as a basic trainee in gastroenterology and found the combination of clinical and procedural work gave a nice balance to the working week. Also, all the gastroenterology consultants seemed to be quite happy and cheerful and this was a most encouraging prognostic factor.

What is your most valuable professional experience to date?

After graduating from UQ and working at The Princess Alexandra Hospital for five years, I trained in Western Sydney for two years and then spent two years in London as a Fellow in Pancreatobiliary Medicine at The Middlesex Hospital (now University College Hospital). I worked with great people, both in Sydney and overseas, who became mentors and friends. This formative time allowed me to develop the skill and knowledge base for my current work. I will never stop striving to achieve the standards set by people such as Jeremy Wilson, Adrian Hatfield and Steve Pereira and have fond memories of my time in advanced training "servitude".

What is the most challenging area of your specialty?

Keeping up-to-date with new developments and maintaining the highest standards of practice are important and time intensive endeavours. On the procedural side, I find interventional ERCP is the most challenging aspect as it involves communicating with multiple staff, such as the endoscopy nurses and radiographer  and co-ordinating the whole procedure as well as interpreting the radiological images all at the same time.

What advancements would you like to see in gastroenterology in the next five years?

As my general gastroenterology practice has a procedural slant, especially interventional ERCP , I look forward to easier access to MRI / MRCP MBS listings to better plan interventional endoscopies. I also want to see endoscopic ultrasound equipment more widely utilized as it is a very cost-effective, patient friendly and tolerable way to biopsy or treat many mediastinal, GI and pancreatic lesions on a day-case basis.

What do you enjoy about practising at Mater Health Services?

The close working relationship with colleagues from all specialties is a great strength of the organization but I enjoy working with the highly skilled endoscopy unit and anaesthetic staff most of all. Successfully treating a patient and completing an interventional procedure is always a challenge and would not be possible if it were not for the support from the other staff involved.

Do you have a passion besides medicine?

I enjoy spending time with my lovely wife and two gorgeous daughters. Catching up with friends in and out of the medical field (especially over a nice meal and a glass or two of good Australian wine on days off) is also one of my favourite ways to spend a bit of free time. Reading and good movies come a solid third.