If you're searching for the best thyroid specialists in Melbourne, here's the short answer: you want a surgeon who trained specifically in endocrine surgery, has years of hands-on experience with thyroid and parathyroid conditions, and works closely with your GP or endocrinologist. Below, I've put together a list of 5 trusted thyroid specialists across Melbourne, VIC. I'm Dr Jane Harding, a specialist endocrine surgeon based in Melbourne. I've spent over 15 years treating thyroid and parathyroid conditions, and I trained under some of the world's leading endocrine surgeons in Sydney and France. What Does a Thyroid Specialist Actually Do? A thyroid specialist helps diagnose and treat problems with your thyroid gland, the small, butterfly-shaped gland at the front of your neck. This gland controls your metabolism, energy levels, and body temperature. Two types of doctors handle thyroid issues, and people often mix them up: Common reasons people search for a thyroid specialist include thyroid nodules, an enlarged thyroid (goitre), Graves' disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and thyroid cancer. If a lump or scan result has you worried, a specialist can run an ultrasound and a fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) to find out exactly what's going on. 5 Best Thyroid Specialists in Melbourne, VIC 1. Dr Jane Harding Dr Jane Harding completed her medical degree at the University of Tasmania and trained in general surgery through The Austin and St Vincent's Hospitals in Melbourne. After getting FRACS in 2004, she spent extra years sub-specialising in endocrine surgery at Royal North Shore Hospital …
If you’re searching for the best thyroid specialists in Melbourne, here’s the short answer: you want a surgeon who trained specifically in endocrine surgery, has years of hands-on experience with thyroid and parathyroid conditions, and works closely with your GP or endocrinologist. Below, I’ve put together a list of 5 trusted thyroid specialists across Melbourne, VIC.
I’m Dr Jane Harding, a specialist endocrine surgeon based in Melbourne. I’ve spent over 15 years treating thyroid and parathyroid conditions, and I trained under some of the world’s leading endocrine surgeons in Sydney and France.
What Does a Thyroid Specialist Actually Do?
A thyroid specialist helps diagnose and treat problems with your thyroid gland, the small, butterfly-shaped gland at the front of your neck. This gland controls your metabolism, energy levels, and body temperature.
Two types of doctors handle thyroid issues, and people often mix them up:
- Endocrinologists diagnose thyroid conditions and manage them with medication, such as adjusting hormone levels for an underactive or overactive thyroid.
- Endocrine surgeons (like me) step in when surgery is needed, such as removing a nodule, a goitre, or a cancerous growth.
Common reasons people search for a thyroid specialist include thyroid nodules, an enlarged thyroid (goitre), Graves’ disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and thyroid cancer. If a lump or scan result has you worried, a specialist can run an ultrasound and a fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) to find out exactly what’s going on.
5 Best Thyroid Specialists in Melbourne, VIC
1. Dr Jane Harding
Dr Jane Harding completed her medical degree at the University of Tasmania and trained in general surgery through The Austin and St Vincent’s Hospitals in Melbourne. After getting FRACS in 2004, she spent extra years sub-specialising in endocrine surgery at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney and St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne.
In 2005, she trained under Professor Jean-François Henry in Marseille, France, a former president of the International Association of Endocrine Surgeons. Her focus is on thyroid and parathyroid conditions, including thyroid cancer. She runs consulting suites across four Melbourne locations to make appointments easier for patients from different suburbs.
2. Dr Meei Yeung
Dr Yeung is one of a small number of Melbourne surgeons who work exclusively in endocrine surgery, covering thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal conditions. She practises through the Monash University Endocrine Surgery Unit at The Alfred Hospital.
Dr Yeung has completed sabbaticals at Yale and Vanderbilt University, where she studied newer techniques like autofluorescence imaging for parathyroid glands during surgery. She’s also trained in minimally invasive parathyroidectomy and minimal-access thyroid surgery, both of which mean smaller scars and faster recovery for many patients.
3. Dr Michael Cheng
With over 22 years of experience and more than 10,000 surgical cases, Dr Cheng treats thyroid nodules, parathyroid disease, and adrenal masses alongside breast surgery. He’s known for using keyhole (minimally invasive) techniques for thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal operations, which often means a hospital stay of just one or two nights.
He also performs office-based ultrasounds and biopsies for thyroid lesions, so patients can sometimes get answers without a separate hospital visit. Dr Cheng consults across several locations in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs and sees patients fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese.
4. Prof Julie Miller
Prof Miller runs a practice focused specifically on hyperparathyroidism, a condition where one or more of your four parathyroid glands produce too much hormone. These glands are tiny, about the size of a grain of rice, and sit just behind your thyroid.
This condition often gets missed because the symptoms, like tiredness, bone pain, or kidney stones, don’t seem connected to the neck at all. Prof Miller organises her own imaging before surgery and reports a success rate of around 98% for patients who go through with the operation.
5. Mr Simon Grodski
Mr Grodski trained at Monash University and completed his General Surgical Fellowship in 2004, followed by two years of focused endocrine surgery training. He was a foundation member of the Monash University Endocrine Surgery Unit, an academic group dedicated to improving endocrine surgery research and practice.
His practice covers thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal conditions, including hypercalcaemia and hyperparathyroidism. He consults at multiple locations across Melbourne’s south-eastern and bayside suburbs.
How to Choose the Right Thyroid Specialist for You
A few things make a real difference when picking a surgeon:
- Check their training. Look for FRACS plus extra endocrine surgery training, not just general surgery.
- Ask about your specific condition. A surgeon who deals with thyroid cancer daily will have different insights than one who mostly sees nodules.
- Consider location. Melbourne traffic is no joke, so a clinic close to home or work makes follow-up visits easier.
- Ask about technique. Minimally invasive options often mean smaller scars and quicker healing.
Final Thoughts
Thyroid problems can throw your whole day off, from your energy to your mood to how your clothes fit. Finding the best thyroid specialist who listens, explains things clearly, and has the right training makes all the difference.
If you’d like to talk through your symptoms or scan results, I see patients across Heidelberg, Fitzroy, Brunswick, and Moorabbin. Feel free to get in touch, and let’s work out the next step together.
