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Doctor's Return Boosts Services at Waikato Hospital
Doctor's Return Boosts Services at Waikato Hospital
Waikato Hospital now has the widest range of complex endoscopy intervention anywhere in the country with the return of former clinical director of gastroenterology Dr Frank Weilert from a 14-month stint in the US.
Dr Weilert was at the California Pacific Medical Centre, Interventional Endoscopy Services in San Francisco undergoing training in advanced endoscopic techniques and imaging.
During his fellowship he was awarded the 2011 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Cook Medical Don Wilson Award.
“My focus was to be fully trained in diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic ultrasound which allows us a detailed interrogation with ultrasound from within the body,” he said.
Endoscopic ultrasound is a procedure using an endoscope with an ultrasound probe on the end to allow visualisation of internal structures from within the body. Through this medium, all the layers of these internal structures are visualised. This assists in diagnosis, staging and tissue sampling of tumours involving the mediastinum, lung, oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, adrenal gland, lymph nodes, rectum and colon. This will potentially expedite some diagnoses and plan of care.
Many advanced therapeutic interventions are now available including resection of large polyps, high-grade dysplasia and early cancers, drainage of pseudocysts, endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary and pancreatic interventions.
“These have opened possibilities for patients who would normally have to undergo major surgery or complex radiological procedure,” said Dr Weilert, who is now the clinical lead for endoscopy for Waikato Hospital.
“We would envisage that the majority of patients can now be offered day-stay procedures or significantly reduced hospital stay.”
Other services Waikato Hospital can now offer assist in treatment of malignancies including pain control via endoscopic ultrasound-guided coeliac block and neurolysis, placing of fiducials to narrow radiotherapy fields and in the future radioactive beads for brachytherapy.
Endoscopic ultrasound does not stand-alone but will form an integral part of the multi-disciplinary team involved in many cancer patients.
“We have close links with our surgical, radiological, oncology, radiotherapy, cytopathologist and pain specialists at Waikato Hospital. “I believe even though there are two other current endoscopic ultrasound services in the wider Auckland area, we are well equipped to provide the widest range of complex intervention anywhere in the country.
“This has taken years of planning and preparation with the team at the Peter Stokes Endoscopy Unit ready to provide first class treatment for our patients,” said Dr Weilert.
Waikato Hospital offers two lists a week. The first started last week with three patients from the Midland region – Whakatane, Huntly and Waihi. One of these patients had been on the waiting list for his procedure through the Auckland service.
The service is planning to perform approximately 300-400 of these procedures a year.
“We welcome requests from our referral partners and regional hospitals.”
ENDS
Waikato District Health Board
Healthy People. Excellent Care
Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.
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