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Surgeon, Nathan Atkinson.
Patients will now be able to have endoscopy procedures done locally thanks to new equipment at the Rodney Surgical Centre.
The centre has installed an endoscope that allows surgeons to see inside a patient’s body using a high-resolution camera.
It is the first of its kind in New Zealand and has imaging modes that use different wavelengths of light to provide a clear image of blood vessel and cell structure patterns.
Surgeon Nathan Atkinson says it allows him to pick up irregularities much more easily and be more confident in his diagnosis.
He says that the camera can be used to observe the lining of the oesophagus, as well as the stomach and colon, to search for ulcers, polyps or cancers.
“When you’re searching a metre-and-a-half of colon it helps to be able to see with more clarity,” he says.
Being able to have a colonoscopy locally is especially preferable for patients, as they are required to limit their eating for three days and not eat at all for 24 hours.
They are also given a laxative medicine to flush the colon, which can make long distance travel through Auckland an unnerving experience.
Rodney Surgical chief executive Marianne Davidson says the new endoscopy equipment gives northern patients options.
Rodney Surgical has also been awarded a Waitemata District Health Board (WDHB) contract, which means it can accept local patients on the public waitlist for endoscopy procedures.
The contract has been awarded until next June and Ms Davidson hopes the relationship with the WDHB will continue to grow.
