In this section we will be discussing the latest in General Surgery, Surgical Oncology and Endocrine surgery. Please stay in touch, more articles to come!!
Endocrine surgery in the Outback
One of the biggest problems of surgical care in the outback is the lack of continuity of care. Surgeons are not willing to establish themselves in outback communities. The result is travelling surgeons. This implies surgery is compromised as there is no continuity in the care of patients. Different surgeons means different opinions, different treatment options. This undermines confidence in any surgeon that comes later. Handover of patients is crucial, good documentation is critical. There needs to be a clearly established plan in order to successfully maintain an outback surgical service. We are a long way from my goal of establishing subspecialised travelling surgical units in New South Wales' outback. I believe that a specialised endocrine surgery/surgical oncology unit that travels to different locations in the outback, will provide a better surgical care than the present situation. But this requires funding and political will.