Gap in SDHB eye surgery

The Southern District Health Board has been forced to look elsewhere for vitreoretinal surgery following the departure of an eye surgeon.

The board is negotiating with the Canterbury DHB.

Chief operating officer (Otago) Vivian Blake said the surgeon had been at the hospital about 18 months and was the only one qualified for the highly specialised surgery.

"We don't have currently a vitreoretinal service. It is one procedure that restores eyesight for some conditions."

Before Dr Andrew Thompson was appointed, Otago and Southland relied on the Canterbury board for the procedure, an arrangement Southern was negotiating to reintroduce.

A recruitment process to replace Dr Thompson was also under way.

Mrs Blake said the service was low volume but entailed urgent work, which was the focus of the negotiations with Canterbury.

There had been no acute cases since Dr Thompson departed on January 6.

If there was an acute case, she would be on the phone immediately to Christchurch to organise care.

Dr Thompson also performed cataract surgery, the volumes for which would not be affected as other eye surgeons could do that, Mrs Blake said.

Cataract volumes would only drop if another surgeon was taken out of the mix.

Mrs Blake had been impressed by the number of applicants already applying for the role.

"This is not a skill-set that's common. It is quite a specialised service," she said.

Dunedin resident Michael Deaker, an Otago regional councillor, had needed urgent surgery in September to repair a detached retina. That was done in Christchurch because Dr Thompson had been unavailable.

Mr Deaker hoped Dunedin quickly recruited another surgeon.

The region had a high proportion of older people who were more likely to need urgent eye surgery, he said.

eileen.goodwin@odt.co.nz