Dr. P.J. Wormald

Ear, nose and throat surgeon Professor Peter-John Wormald is Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at Adelaide and Flinders Universities. He is known to be an exceptional lecturer and teacher and is currently recognised as a world leader in Sino-Nasal Disorders, FESS, and Anterior Skull-Base Surgery. Peter was one of the first to introduce the revolutionary practice of transnasal intracranial surgery to Australia. He has taken this surgery to new heights, removing tumours through the nose which could previously only be removed by operating through the top of the skull. Peter’s approach avoids disturbing the brain, disfiguring the patient’s skull, and shortens recovery time. In addition, he has developed more than 20 new surgical instruments and five new surgical procedures, leading to the recognition of his department as the leading sinus surgery unit in Australia, and one of the leading departments in the world. He ran the first microvascular injury workshop in the world, and his book on endoscopic sinus surgery is widely acknowledged internationally as the definitive text on the subject. Peter’s work has redefined the approach to the management of sinus and skull base diseases and his reputation attracts visiting surgeons from around the world.
Professor Wormald has specialized in rhinology, sinus surgery and skull base surgery and now practices almost solely as a rhinologist (nose and sinus specialist) and skull base surgeon. He has developed an extensive research program into the causes and development patterns associated with these diseases and has a special interest in innovative and new treatments of nose and sinus diseases. He has been a leader in Australia and the world in new techniques and procedures for the endoscopic management of skull base tumors and has in collaboration with instrument manufacturing companies developed an extensive range of both sinus surgical and skull base instruments
He travels extensively both nationally and internationally to lecture on this research and on new surgical techniques that he has recently developed for the management of extensive and resistant sinus disease. In addition, Adelaide is fortunate to have, in three of its hospitals, cutting edge sinus technology that is not available in most other states of Australia. This has led Adelaide to be considered as the centre of excellence for treatment of nasal and sinus diseases in Australasia and the world.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field, Professor Wormald was awarded an L2 Investigator Grant from the NHMRC (2021-2025) for his project "From bench to bedside: a new treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis".