Auckland New Zealand Head & Neck Surgery

Head and Neck Surgery

Head and Neck Surgery is a super-specialty. It involves the management of disorders of the upper aerodigestive tract, thyroid and parathyroid glands, parotid and salivary glands, neck lumps and skin tumours. It does not include disorders of the brain, spinal cord, vertebrae or neck muscles which are suitably catered for by other specialists.

The management of these head and neck conditions is often complex as they can affect one's ability to communicate and to otherwise function in today's demanding society. Thus patients may present with voice or swallowing difficulties, speech difficulties because of impairment of the tongue or throat, breathing problems, neck lumps, and also cosmetic concerns.

Specialists involved in this work must have had a broad training in all aspects of head and neck surgery and be able to provide a multidisciplinary approach.

Dr Nick McIvor

Dr Nick McIvor is one of New Zealand's most experienced Head & Neck Surgeons. He has undergone extensive training in surgery of the head and neck providing expertise in the resection of tumours as well as employing state of the art techniques in complex reconstructions. The experience gleaned from his large rhinoplasty and facial plastics practice complements his reconstructive skills. He is dedicated to providing a personalised and quality service.

A Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Nick is actively involved in the teaching of under-graduate students and post-graduate doctors. Nick has recently co-written a chapter on parathyroid surgery for a leading British Textbook on Head & Neck surgery (Stell & Maran).

In May 2006 he was on the faculty of the 6th Biennial Course on Management of Thyroid Nodular Disease and Cancer (incorporating Parathyroid Disease) in Toronto, Canada. Nick presented the Dunhill Lecture on Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery in New Zealand. Later that year he presented a unique study of Thyroid Surgery in Singers at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting in Wellington.

In July 2007 he was on the Thyroid Panel at the Australian Society of ORL/ Head & Neck Surgery in Brisbane, and in November he was on the faculty of the 2nd Multidisciplinary Update on Thyroid Cancer for Surgeons in Brisbane.

This year Nick has been invited to be on the faculties for the World Congress on Thyroid Surgery in Toronto, the 3rd Multidisciplinary Update on Thyroid Cancer for Surgeons in Brisbane, is the Head and Neck keynote speaker at the South Pacific ORL forum in Fiji in July, and will also be on the faculty for the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery in June where he will give two talks on rhinoplasty. A busy year!

Until recently, Nick was a director of a prestigious Head & Neck Fellowship at Auckland City Hospital and he now provides a Head & Neck service to North Shore Hospital. He is an integral member of the multidisciplinary head and neck service at Auckland City Hospital. He is currently an examiner in Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery for the College of Surgeons.

In private practice he is also able to provide a multidisciplinary approach as he has strong links with endocrinology, oncology, speech and swallow therapy, and nutritional services.