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Barnaby Smith – General, Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Surgeon

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Description

Barnaby Smith is a general, laparoscopic and endoscopic surgeon with specialist interest in upper gastrointestinal, melanoma, laparoscopy and hernia repairs. Read more about Barnaby's expertise in these areas here.
 
What is General Surgery?
The role of the general surgeon varies, but in broad terms general surgery can be said to deal with a wide range of conditions within the abdomen, breast, neck, skin and, in many cases, vascular (blood vessel) system.
 
While the name would suggest that the focus of general surgery is to perform operations, often this is not the case. Many patients are referred to surgeons with conditions that do not need surgical procedures, but merely require counselling or medical treatment.
 
Endoscopy
Endoscopy is the process of looking inside body cavities, using a very tiny camera attached to the end of a long, flexible tube (endoscope). Images from the camera are sent to a television monitor so that the doctor can direct the movement of the endoscope. It is also possible to pass different instruments through the endoscope to allow small samples or growths to be removed.

Endoscopy allows a doctor to make a diagnosis either by seeing directly what is causing the problem or by taking a small tissue sample for examination under a microscope (biopsy).

Endoscopy can also be used as a treatment e.g. for removal of swallowed objects in the oesophagus (food pipe), healing of lesions etc.

Laparoscopic surgery
Laparoscopic (or keyhole) surgical procedures are performed through several small cuts (incisions) usually only 5-10mm long, rather than through one large incision.

A long, narrow surgical telescope (laparoscope) that has a tiny camera and light source attached, is inserted through one of the incisions so that the surgeon can view the inside of the body on a TV monitor.

The surgeon then passes specially designed surgical instruments through the other incisions and carries out the procedure using the TV monitor to guide the instruments.

Laparoscopic surgery is usually associated with less blood loss during surgery and less pain and scarring following surgery. In most cases, time spent in hospital is less and overall recovery time from the operation is less than with conventional open surgery.

Consultants

Hours

Mon – Fri 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Referral Expectations

When you come to your appointment, your surgeon will ask questions about your illness and examine you to try to determine or confirm the diagnosis. This process may also require a number of tests (e.g. blood tests, x-rays, scans etc). Sometimes this can all be done during one visit, but for some conditions this will take several follow-up appointments. Occasionally some tests are arranged even before your appointment to try to speed up the process.
 
Once a diagnosis has been made, your surgeon will discuss treatment with you. In some instances this will mean surgery, while other cases can be managed with medication and advice. If surgery is advised, the steps involved in the surgical process and the likely outcome are usually discussed with you at this time.

Procedures / Treatments

  • Skin Disorders Including Melanoma

    Skin conditions dealt with by general surgery include lumps, tumours and other lesions of the skin and underlying tissues.… More

  • Breast Disorders Including Breast Cancer

    General surgery covers breast diseases including breast cancer. These conditions are often initially dealt with in a specialised breast clinic which is able to perform a number of investigations (e.g.… More

  • Hernias

    A hernia exists where part of the abdominal wall is weakened, and the contents of the abdomen push through to the outside.… More

  • Gastrointestinal Disorders

    Conditions of the gut dealt with by general surgery include disorders of the oesophagus, stomach, small bowel, large bowel and anus.… More

  • Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease

    Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is caused by the backflow (reflux) of food and stomach acid into the oesophagus (the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach) from the stomach.… More

  • Gallstones

    General surgery covers some disorders of the liver and biliary system.… More

  • Gastroscopy

    Gastroscopy allows examination of the upper part of your digestive tract i.e.… More

  • Colonoscopy

    Colonoscopy is the examination of your colon (large bowel) using a colonoscope (long, flexible tube with a camera on the end).… More

Charges

Barnaby is a Southern Cross Affiliated Provider for a range of procedures under the following categories :

  • General Surgery
  • Skin
  • Varicose Veins

Pharmacy

Find your nearest Pharmacy here

Contact Details

752 Cameron Road, Tauranga

Bay of Plenty

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Phoenix House, Pyne St, Whakatane

Bay of Plenty

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This page was last updated at 8:40PM on March 12, 2019. This information is reviewed and edited by Barnaby Smith – General, Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Surgeon.