Plastic surgery covers a wide range of different surgical procedures that repair, reconstruct or replace structures in many different parts of the body including the skin, face and head, hands, breast and stomach. Plastic surgery does not involve the use of plastic materials.
Reconstructive plastic surgery is performed on parts of the body that are abnormal or have been affected by a birth defect, accident or disease. This includes cleft lip and palate repair, scar revision or reconstruction (including skin grafts) following burns. Surgery is usually performed to improve function, but may also be performed to bring the appearance of a part of the body as close as possible to normal.
Plastic Reconstructive and Hand Surgery Services Provided by Counties Manukau Health
Counties Manukau Health Plastic Reconstructive and Hand Surgery services are located in South Auckland at Middlemore Hospital and Manukau SuperClinic™.
The Plastic Reconstructive and Hand Surgery service at CMDHB is one of the four regional plastic surgery centres in New Zealand and provides services to people who live in the Counties Manukau, Auckland, Waitemata and Northland DHB areas.
New Zealand doctors now diagnose nearly 70,000 skin cancers each year with some patients waiting many months for treatment at a public hospital. The key benefits of this new model of care mean suitable patients will be able to have their treatment at their first appointment. Other patients with some common hand problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome will also be able to have their surgery performed under local anaesthetic on the same basis.
This See and Treat facility staff includes specialists from the Department of Plastic Surgery as well as junior doctors and primary care providers such as local general practitioners (GPs). This collaborative model utilising GPs within the public healthcare system will promote higher skill development within primary care providers, with the goal to one day open multiple effective locality hubs where trained GPs can treat patients closer to home. Building stronger relationships between GPs and DHB consultant surgeons will be an additional benefit of this initiative.
All patient referrals sent to the Auckland Regional Centre for Plastic Reconstructive & Hand Surgery will be screened for suitability. Plastic Surgery clinics will continue to run at Manukau SuperClinic for other medical conditions, but if the patient is deemed appropriate, they will be called into the See and Treat Unit at Middlemore Hospital instead. This will significantly improve the service provided to our patients.
This facility to see and treat is located at Middlemore Hospital, Level 1 of the Galbraith Building.
If you have any questions please feel free to email the Service Manager Crisna Taljaard (CMDHB) Crisna.Taljaard@Middlemore.co.nz
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