Aspen Medical marks milestone with Fiji’s first laparoscopic hysterectomy

Fiji’s first laparoscopic hysterectomy has been successfully performed at the Aspen Medical managed Lautoka Hospital, a landmark achievement in women’s healthcare.

A laparoscopic hysterectomy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove the uterus (womb) using a laparoscope, a thin tube with a camera, inserted through small incisions in the abdomen. This "keyhole surgery" approach leads to faster recovery, less pain, smaller scars, and a shorter hospital stay compared to a traditional open abdominal surgery.

This milestone was made possible through the collaboration of the Australian/NZ–Fiji Endoscopy Group, working alongside the Oceania Pacific Health Association (OPHA), Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Fiji National University and Aspen Medical. The visiting experts worked hand-in-hand with the Lautoka Hospital surgical team to deliver this historic procedure.

Alongside the surgery, a donation of critical equipment including a hysteroscopy set and laparoscopic instruments will enable Lautoka Hospital’s surgical team to begin performing minor laparoscopic hysterectomies independently.

Based in South Australia, Limestone Coast Local Health Network Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr Temalesi Windust said, “I am seeing the benefits of introducing this procedure overseas, where patients go home quickly, the recovery recoveries quickly. There's good progress, and we know that we have evidence on the benefits of introducing memory invasive surgery. A lot of other countries are 10 years ahead with some of them, even much longer with these procedures, but Fiji is catching up.”

Aspen Medical’s Obstetrics and Gynaecology consultant at Lautoka Hospital Dr Nani Sikiti said, “This is leading up to something that’s bigger and this is going to progress into what Fiji is going to be in the future. This is in line to what we intended for Fiji, to do minimally invasive surgery, not only for diagnostic purposes but also for treatment as well. This type of surgery will ensure women have less pain, less hospital stay, good recoveries which women didn’t get exposed to in the past. Women in Fiji deserve the best standard care, treatment and recovery.”

The international specialist team included representatives of the Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RANZCOG), the Australian/New Zealand Advanced Gynaecologist Endoscopic Surgery Society (AGES), the College of Urogynaecologists (CGU), as well as experts from Limestone Coast, Gold Coast University and Macquarie University Hospital in Sydney.

ENDS