Keyhole surgery 'first'

MARK TAYLOR/Waikato Times

HAMILTON FIRST: Hamilton Southern Cross Hospital surgeon David Schroeder checks on the progress of patient Alicia Ngaropo, 28, the first woman in the country to undergo keyhole surgery to remove a gall bladder.

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Whakatane's Alicia Ngaropo says she was probably better off not knowing she was about to be the first person to undergo a pioneering surgical procedure.

While removing a gall bladder, usually about 7-10cm long, was nothing new, the fact that Southern Cross Hospital surgeon and stomach specialist David Schroeder pulled it out through her belly button is.

Mr Schroeder admitted he didn't even know the surgery a laparoscopic cholecystectomy had never been performed before.

"I just thought here's a fun thing to do and did it and then afterwards they said `well, that's another first for Hamilton'. There's quite a few firsts in Hamilton."

The very first keyhole gall bladder removal surgery was also done in Hamilton in 1999.

"Normally you cut just above the belly button and then there's another three cuts (on the stomach) ... (this is) keyhole with a different approach."

He felt Ms Ngaropo was the perfect candidate for the surgery as she was Maori whose skin tended to leave darker scars, he said.

Mr Schroeder said keyhole surgery was done for cosmetic reasons.

"We do it usually for young ladies who don't like to be left with a scar after surgery."

All that is left to remind Ms Ngaropo of her surgery was a sticking plaster across her belly button.

Ms Ngaropo, who was yesterday recovering in Southern Cross Hospital while waiting to be discharged, said she needed the surgery after gall stones were discovered about three months ago.

"They don't do it in Rotorua or Whakatane. We've got three little kids and family here so thought it would be the perfect place to be done."

The Credit Union bank worker was appreciative of Mr Schroeder offering her the surgery although admitted she may have been a touch apprehensive about being the first to try it out.

Mr Schroeder said gains would be also be made in the obesity field as people who were having stomach reducing surgery would also be left scarless.

- © Fairfax NZ News