Know Your Doctor
Dr Jay Iyer is an Advanced Endoscopic Surgeon whose expertise lies in treating complex gynaecological surgical problems. His chief areas of interest include complex laparoscopies (commonly termed ‘key-hole’ operations) for severe endometriosis, large uterine and pelvic masses and pelvic floor disorders.
Dr Jay Iyer was born in India and schooled at the St Ignatius Loyola School run by the Jesuits in the University Town of Pune (formerly Poona). He went on to train in the prestigious Armed Forces Medical College, receiving his MBBS degree in 1992 from the University of Poona. 4 years of Post graduate residency training earned him the Doctor of Medicine in 2000 from the same University. He was awarded with the title of Graded Specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology standing first in the honours roll. In the year 2001 Dr Iyer was awarded the Diplomate of the National Board in Obstetrics and Gynaecology- the Indian equivalent of the Royal College. He successfully passed the Membership examination of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London in November 2001 and was awarded the MRCOG. He served in the Armed Forces for 16 years and retired as a Classified (Senior) Specialist in 2008 after attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. A chance meeting with a North Queensland doctor, professor and icon, Prof Ajay Rane and his subsequent encouragement and support encouraged resulted in his move to Townsville in 2010. Jay further trained with Prof Rane in Urogynaecology for 2 years while simultaneously fine-tuning skills in Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery. Dr Iyer was conferred with the Fellowship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ob-Gyn in 2011 and was elevated to the Fellowship of the Royal College of Ob-Gyn of the UK a year later.
The Clinic
Dr Iyer, in collaboration with Prof Rane, operating under the Mater Pelvic Health - Minimal Access Gynaecology umbrella, provide focussed, multi-speciality tertiary-level management of the most complex gynaecological and urogynaecological conditions.
For the past 6 years the team has extended their services to Cairns, which has greatly benefited patients from Far North Queensland who no longer need to travel to Townsville for sub-speciality treatment. For the past 5 years the team has expanded to include a Specialist Training Fellow- a senior training doctor in their penultimate year of training- which has enabled dedicated, round-the-clock care. Dr Iyer currently works as a Consultant Gynaecologist, Advanced Laparoscopic and Pelvic Floor Surgeon at Mater Hospital, Townsville, the Townsville & Cairns Day Surgery and Cairns Private Hospital. Dr Iyer’s vision and leadership has led to the development of a advanced Gynaecological Laparoscopic Surgery Department at the Townsville Hospital, facilities that are now available at the other hospitals that he works in. Owing to these efforts the Townsville Hospital is the only regional hospital in Australia, and the third in Queensland to be accredited to train senior training doctors and Ob-Gyn Specialists in a 2-year Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery Fellowship Program leading to a formal certification by the Australian Gynaecological Endoscopic Surgery Society (AGES). The availability of these services has meant that patients with complex gynaecoogical conditions that need surgery no longer need to travel to Brisbane . Dr Iyer is also a Senior Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the James Cook University.