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Dr Luigi Sussman - General and Laparoscopic Surgeon

Private Service, General Surgery

Description

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 hospitals, 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.
 
What is Laparoscopic Surgery? (see below - hernia, reflux and gallbladder surgery for details about specific operations )
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.
 
What is Endoscopy? -see gastroscopy and colonoscopy below for more detailed descriptions.
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.
 

Consultants

  • Dr Luigi Sussman

    General, Colorectal, Laparoscopic Surgeon and Gastrointestinal Endoscopist

Referral Expectations

Most patients are referred by their general practitioners or other specialists, however I will on occasions accept direct patient referrals. If you have a family doctor I will always report back to them as it is extremely important to keep them "in the loop" as they are responsible for your "total care". You will need to phone my secretary to organise this first appointment.

When you come to your appointment, I 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). If you have already had investigations such as CT scans please bring these with you as they can be of great help. In addition, copies of any medical records or test reports can also be of assistance.

This can generally all be done during one visit, but for some conditions this will take several follow-up appointments.

Once a diagnosis has been made, I will discuss treatment options with you. In some instances this will mean surgery, while other cases can be managed with medication or other non-surgical interventions. If surgery is advised, I will outline the risks, benefits and alternatives and go through the steps involved in the surgical process with you.

I am a Southern Cross affiliated provider for:

  • Gastroscopy and Colonoscopy - both diagnostic and therapeutic 
  • Varicose veins surgery
  • Hernia surgery
  • Gallbladder surgery
  • Skin lesions

Procedures / Treatments

  • Skin Disorders

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

  • Liver and Biliary System Disorders

    The most common disorder of the liver and biliary system is pain caused by gallstones.… More

  • Hernias

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

  • Vascular Disorders

    Vascular (blood vessel) disorders treated by general surgery include varicose veins, blockages and narrowings in the arteries or abnormal swellings of the arteries (aneurysm).… 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

  • Pilonidal Sinus

    This is a condition which generally affects teenagers and young adults, but may occur at any age.… More

Contact Details

Shakespeare Specialist Centre, 181 Shakespeare Road, Milford, Auckland

North Auckland

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Red Beach Shopping Centre, 42 Red Beach Road, Red Beach, Auckland

North Auckland

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Rodney Surgical Centre, 77 Morrison Drive, Warkworth, Auckland

North Auckland

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This page was last updated at 11:20AM on September 13, 2021. This information is reviewed and edited by Dr Luigi Sussman - General and Laparoscopic Surgeon.