I need a colonoscopy but how do I choose the best doctor to perform this?

Colonoscopy is a commonly-performed procedure which many doctors offer throughout New Zealand. Like any skilled technique, how well it is performed will depend on how the doctor was trained, and how many colonoscopies the doctor performed during training. Generally, in New Zealand, Gastroenterologists have the best and most complete training. An Advanced Endoscopist is a doctor who has been trained to the highest level and is therefore best suited to deal with any polyps that might be found, and reduce the number of colonoscopies that you might need to undergo.

Will I be comfortable during my colonoscopy?

Most colonoscopies are relatively pain free and in fact quite a few people can have them without any sedative medication at all. Most people find that the bowel preparation liquid to clean out the bowel is the worst part of the procedure. Dr Cameron is able to tailor your sedation to your needs, from minimal sedation to intravenous anaesthesia.

I have heard about endoscopic treatments for weight loss - do you offer this?

Yes, we offer Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG), the most widely performed weight loss procedure internationally. Endoscopic treatments are an exciting area of rapid advances and will likely replace all surgeries in the 5-10 year time frame.

How does ESG compare with a sleeve gastrectomy?

ESG was invented to try and copy the surgical operation sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) without cutting out any of the stomach. In fact they are quite different in how they cause weight loss in terms of what happens to food once swallowed. In a LSG, food generally empties faster from the stomach and causes hormonal changes that help with weight loss. ESG slows stomach emptying and makes you feel full for longer. The flip side is that in LSG the food can also empty upwards causing reflux, whereas this problem does not occur with ESG. You can read more on the weight loss surgery page.

What do you think about Wegovy for weight loss?

Wegovy (semaglutide) is the first effective weight loss drug of the GLP-1 receptor agonist family, a group of drugs initially designed to treat type 2 diabetes. Over the first 6-12 months of use it will cause on average around a 15% total body weight loss which is quite remarkable compared to any drug that came before. Overall it is relatively safe though typically does cause a number of usually low grade side effects when used at weight loss dose, mostly related to the gut such as reflux, nausea, constipation or diarrhoea. The main problem with Wegovy and other newer weight loss drugs such as Mounjaro is that they cause weight loss in the first 6-12 months, but then no further weight loss will occur and yet you will need to keep taking the drug and paying for it long term - if stopped then weight regain will occur in everyone. How to get people off these weight loss drugs while avoiding significant weight regain is the next big challenge in medicine. What it will involve is a change in the eating patterns that cause weight gain in the first place.

I have a gut problem but I’m not sure what to do - can you help me?

As well as an Advanced Endoscopist, Dr Cameron is is very experienced Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist so is happy to talk to you about any gut or liver problems and help decide what might need to be checked, or what treatments might help.