Surgery Under The Spotlight
Over 250 of New Zealand’s leading health researchers and specialist surgeons will congregate in Auckland next week for
the Royal Australasian College of Surgeon’s Annual Scientific Meeting.
The meeting will also host five prestigious international surgeons: Professor Hilton Becker a US surgeon specialising in
reconstructive breast surgery; Professor Danny Cass, Director of Trauma at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, NSW;
Professor Christopher O’Brien from Sydney who has an international reputation for his work in the management of head and
neck melanoma; Professor John Thompson, Director of the Melanoma Foundation of the University of Sydney and Professor
Bruce Wolff who is a colon and rectal specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota.
Scientific Co-ordinator for the meeting Mrs Eva Juhasz said the programme this year focuses mainly on melanoma, breast,
plastics, laparoscopic, bowels surgery and paediatrics. There would be a number of shared sessions across a number of
specialties.
“As well as bringing in some excellent overseas speakers we have also focused on using our own New Zealand talent and
expertise,” she says.
Mrs Juhasz says she expected the Friday afternoon medico-legal session featuring speakers from the Health and Disability
Commission (HDC) and the Accident Compensation Commission (ACC) to be of particular interest.
“The inclusion of this session reflects the increasing involvement consultants have with both HDC and ACC and the need
for support and awareness of processes around medico-legal issues,” she says.
The conference will be held at Auckland’s Hyatt Regency Hotel. It will be opened by the Auckland Mayor John Banks and
will run from 8:30am to 5:30pm Wednesday and Thursday (September 8, 9) and 8:30am to 3:30pm Friday (September 10). Media
are welcome to attend.