Mark originally had a special interest in paediatric urology, stone surgery and laser treatment for benign prostate disease. Since 1999 he has developed an expertise in transperineal techniques, including prostate permanent seed brachytherapy, cryotherapy, prostate biopsy and most recently Nanoknife irreversible electroporation.
Mark attended Hamilton Boys’ High School and initially studied marine biology at Otago University. He graduated from Otago Medical School in December 1975 and was a house surgeon in Tauranga Hospital for two years before becoming the acting head of the Accident and Emergency department. In 1978 he completed a diploma in diving and hyperbaric medicine with Monash University and the Royal Australian Navy. In 1980 he worked as a Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Plymouth, England, obtaining a Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology before embarking on his Urological career at the Institute of Urology, London.
Mark returned to Tauranga and joined the “father” of local urology, Harry Watts in public and private practice in 1986, and now practises at Urology Bay of Plenty as well as holding public appointments in Tauranga and Rotorua. His special interests at that time were paediatric, stone and prostate surgery and this continues today.
With partner Peter Gilling he pioneered several innovative techniques, the best known being the now internationally recognised “gold standard” of benign prostate disease surgery, Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate with morcellation (“HoLEP”). In 1999 he was one of the first urologists to carry out permanent seed prostate brachytherapy in New Zealand and on December 10, 2016, carried out his 1000th case, the largest series for a single practitioner in Australasia. Mark pioneered slim needle cryotherapy (freezing) for prostate cancer recurrence in Australasia and was the first in New Zealand to carry out transperineal prostate biopsy.
On 12 November 2016 Mark carried out the first irreversible electroporation (“Nanoknife”) procedure in New Zealand (the second centre in Australasia) for recurrent prostate cancer after radiation failure, with five further cases since then.
Marks interests include helicopter flying, fishing, diving, hunting and inventing medical devices. He is currently Chairman of the Board of the Kathleen Kilgour Radiotherapy Centre, as well as Head of Department for Urology for the Bay of Plenty and Lakes District Health Board.
Contact information:
850 Cameron Road, Tauranga
Tel 07 5790-466
www.urobop.co.nz
