Dr Ammar Al-Abid and his wife left Baghdad in 1994 and headed for the most beautiful country in the world, New Zealand. After 18 years here, he's long since been 'kiwified'. He's an ardent ABs supporter, follows the Black Caps and has recently developed a passion for golf.
Ammar graduated from the University of Baghdad in 1988 and subsequently spent 4 years of his residency in Iraq before deciding to leave to come to New Zealand. Once here, Ammar completed 4 years of general surgery, and continued his training in O&G around the Auckland region, gaining his Fellowship of the RANZCOG in 2008. Ammar's specialty is pelvic pain and laparoscopic surgery as well as all general gynaecological problems, and obstetrics including high risk obstetrics.
Ammar splits his time between The Pelvic Floor Clinic and work in the Gynaecology Department at North Shore Hospital and has helped a large number of patients. Ammar says that the best part of his work is seeing his patients enjoying a much better quality of life after treatment/surgery. He knows there can be nothing more debilitating than living with pain and is here to help and advise you on all the options available to get the right solution for you.
What is Obstetrics?
Obstetrics is the area of medicine concerned with the treatment of women during pregnancy (antenatal), labour and delivery, and the time after childbirth (postnatal). Once pregnancy has been confirmed, regular antenatal checks should be performed by a midwife, GP or obstetrician (doctor who is specialised in obstetrics). In the first 28 weeks, these checks will be done every month but will increase as the pregnancy progresses.
What is Gynaecology?
Gynaecology is the area of medicine that deals with health issues and conditions that are specific to women. This generally includes the female reproductive organs and genitalia. The reproductive organs consist of the ovaries that release an egg every month, the fallopian tubes that lead from the ovaries, the uterus (womb), which is where a baby will grow if the egg is fertilised during sexual intercourse, the cervix (opening of the uterus) and the vagina.
Laparoscopy
Many gynaecological investigations are performed by laparoscopy. This is a procedure to view the inside of the abdomen (stomach) through a specially lit type of mini telescope (laparoscope) that is inserted through a small cut in the abdomen. The laparoscope also contains a small camera that sends pictures to a screen that the doctor can watch.
Sometimes surgical procedures (keyhole surgery) can be performed at the same time. A laparoscopy is performed under a general anaesthetic (you are asleep).