About Dr Leba Sarkis - Dr Leba M Sarkis

About Dr Leba M Sarkis

Dr Leba M Sarkis

HEAD AND NECK SURGEON

MBBS (Hons I), BDENT (Hons), BMed Sci, MS (Head & Neck), FRACDS, FRACS(ORL- HNS)

Dr Leba Michael Sarkis is a dual international fellowship trained Head and Neck and Microvascular reconstructive surgeon. He completed Dentistry first at the University of Sydney, and obtained the Rudolf Gunz University Medal, and subsequently went on to complete a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery with First class Honours also at the University of Sydney, with his research thesis completed under the tutelage of Professor Leigh Delbridge, Australia’s most experienced thyroid surgeon. He subsequently completed a Master of Surgery, specifically in Head and Neck Surgery and then went on to complete five dedicated years of training in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery attaining Fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. (FRACS) He then undertook two further years of dedicated fellowship in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology and Microvascular reconstruction, the first of which was completed at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. Subsequently, he gained entry into the highly selective University of Toronto Head and Neck Surgical Oncology program under the auspices of the American Head and Neck Society, the single largest organization in North America for the advancement of research and education in head and neck oncology. Here he gained a significant amount of experience in skull base surgery, Thyroid and Parathyroid surgery, Robotic surgery, melanoma and complex Head and Neck Reconstruction in Toronto, Canada. This allows him to uniquely practice the entire spectrum of Head and Neck Surgery and further incorporate his dental background to facilitate dental rehabilitation of patients who undergo tumour resection, having practised as a dentist for more than five years prior to his medical training. He has a strong academic interest having published multiple publications in peer reviewed international journals and currently leads several multi-institutional studies being conducted across high volume head and neck centres around the world. He is a Senior clinical Lecturer at the University of Sydney and thoroughly enjoys teaching medical students, residents and registrars. Outside of surgery, he thoroughly enjoys playing and watching cricket, fishing and was recently introduced to fly fishing in Canada. His proudest achievements are his wife Joyce and his two beautiful children.

External Appointments and Affiliations

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Senior clinical lecturer at The University of Sydney. View profile here.

Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. View profile here.

Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons. View profile here.

Thyroid and parathyroid surgery
Management of advanced skin cancer including melanoma
Maxillomandibular reconstruction utilising virtual surgical planning (VSP) and computer aided design

SPECIAL INTERESTS

Thyroid and parathyroid surgery
Management of advanced skin cancer including melanoma
Maxillomandibular reconstruction utilising virtual surgical planning (VSP) and computer aided design

Publications

1. Sarkis LM, Zaidi N, Norlén O, Delbridge LW, Sywak MS, Sidhu SB. Bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in a specialized thyroid surgery unit: would routine intraoperative neuromonitoring alter outcomes?. ANZ J Surg. 2017; 87 (5) 364-367
2. Sarkis LM, Norlen O, Aniss A, Watson N, Delbridge LW, Sidhu SB, Sywak MS, Gill AJ. The Australian experience with the Bethesda classification system for thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsies. Pathology. 2014; Dec;46(7):592-5
3. Sarkis LM, Norlen O, Sywak M, Delbridge L. Minimally invasive thyroid nodulectomy reduces post-operative hypothyroidism when compared with thyroid lobectomy. ANZ J Surg. 2017 87 (5) 360-363
4. Sarkis LM, Treble A, Wing LW, Ramsey-Stewart G. Retention of topographical anatomical knowledge following surgeon-facilitated whole-body dissection. ANZ J Surg. 2014; Nov;84(11):820-2
5. Norlén O, Popadich A, Kruijff S, Gill AJ, Sarkis LM, Delbridge L, Sywak M, Sidhu S. Bethesda III thyroid nodules: the role of ultrasound in clinical decision making. Ann Surg Oncol. 2014; Oct;21(11):3528-33
6. Norlén O, Charlton A, Sarkis LM, Henwood T, Shun A, Gill AJ, Delbridge L. Risk of malignancy for each Bethesda class in pediatric thyroid nodules. J. Pediatric Surgery. 2014; 50 (7): 1147-9
7. Sarkis LM, Lee D, Grunstein R, Stow NW. Modified uvuluopalatopharyngoplasty and coblation tongue channelling in the management of OSA: A single surgeon’s experience. Aust J Otolaryngol. 2019; 2:30
8. Sideris AW,Sarkis LM, Lam ME, Mackay SG. Low morbidity high anterior neck approach for removal of a deep intraglossal foreign body: A case report. Int J Surg Case Rep.2021 Apr;81:105823.
9. Every JD, Sideris AW, Sarkis LM, Lam ME, MacKay SG, Pearson SJ. Hypocalcaemia in pharyngolaryngectomy: Preservation or autotransplantation of parathyroid glands. Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology. 2021; https://doi.org/10.1002/lio2.627
10. Lindsay B, Sideris A, Sarkis LM, Lam ME, MacKay SG. Modified. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and radiofrequency-in-saline tongue in the management of snoring. Aust J Otolaryngol. 2022;
11.Sarkis LM, Jones AC, Ng A, Pantin C, Appleton SL, MacKay SG. Australasian Sleep Association position statement on consensus and evidence based treatment for primary snoring. Respirology. 2023 Feb;28(2):110-119
12. Treble A, Do T, Sarkis L, Newey A, Naidoo SY, Saxby A, Kong J, Patel NP, Jufas N. Caution in Transnasal Balloon Dilation of the Eustachian Tube: Middle Ear Penetration of Catheter Tip in a Cadaveric Model. Otol Neurotol. 2023 Jan 7. doi: 10.1097 Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36622652
13.Sarkis LM,Clifton-Bligh R, Veivers D, Gill AJ. SDH deficiency is very common in carotid body paragangliomas: Genetic counseling and testing should be offered to all patients. Head Neck. 2023 Apr 3
14.Sarkis LM, Yao CM, Hendler A, Mohan R, Au M, Zhang H, Eskander A, Higgins K, MacNeil D, Tzelnick S, Goldstein D, Hosni A, de Almeida JR. A multi-institutional feasibility lead-in trial of lymphatic mapping with SPECT-CT for evaluating contralateral disease in lateralized oropharynx cancer using 99m-technetium sulfur colloid. Head Neck. 2024 Jul 17. doi: 10.1002/hed.27871. Online ahead of print
15. Sarkis LM, Jones AC, Ng A, Pantin C, Appleton SL, MacKay SG. Reply: Up-to-date data on NightLase laser treatment of snoring for discussion. Respirology. 2024 Apr;29(4):349
16. Sarkis LM, Higgins K, Enepekides D, Eskander A. A novel guided approach to radiofrequency ablation of thyroid nodules: the Toronto Sunnybrook experience. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024 Jul 24;15:1402605.