I am a New Zealand trained General Surgeon who grew up in Samoa and moved to New Zealand for medical training. It was during my return to Samoa for my internship that I discovered General Surgery to be my calling, in observing that the skills to this art is a combination of compassion, professionalism, knowledge and technical excellence. My fellowship training in General Surgery took me on a journey around our beautiful country for a number of years.

After completion of my fellowship, I spent a further two years of post-fellowship training in the Waikato Public Hospital and the Royal Melbourne Hospital to further specialise in trauma care. In addition, I was able to further develop my elective passions which include an interest in abdominal wall hernias and colorectal surgery, specifically colonic diseases and proctology. I returned to Hamilton in the beginning of 2018 with my young family to take up a consultant general surgeon position at the Waikato Public Hospital.

Special clinical interests:

• Abdominal wall hernia: including complex and recurrent
• Colonic conditions: cancer, inflammatory bowel and diverticular disease
• Anorectal Conditions (haemorrhoids, skin tags, perianal fistula, fissures)
• Gallbladder diseases: gallstones
• Pilonidal Disease
• Endoscopy: Colonoscopy and Gastroscopy
• Minor surgery: Skin lesions, lumps and bumps

Current employment:

General Surgeon, Waikato Public Hospital

Qualifications:

• MBChB (Otago, 2005)
• FRACS (General Surgery, 2015)