Mr Sanket (Sunny) Srinivasa

I am a general surgeon specialising in Upper GI and Liver/Pancreas/Biliary Surgery with specialist expertise in minimally invasive (laparoscopic/ robotic) surgery. I was born in India and grew up in West Auckland before attending Medical School at the University of Otago. I’ve been very fortunate to live in many parts of New Zealand both through Medical School (Dunedin & Wellington) and later as part of my training to become a General Surgeon (Hawke’s Bay, Auckland Region and Christchurch). These experiences have allowed me to learn from some fantastic surgeons and very hard-working New Zealanders whose influence I’m very thankful for.

After receiving the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2016, I spent a year at North Shore Hospital in Auckland subspecialising in Upper Gastrointestinal and Hepatopancreaticobiliary (HPB) Surgery. After this, I worked at the world-famous Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (Literally the birthplace of Surgery!) to further subspecialise in HPB and Multi-Organ Transplant Surgery. This was a phenomenal period of professional growth and a wonderful experience for our young family with a toddler and an infant.

The following year, we crossed the Atlantic Ocean to pursue my dream of working as a Fellow at Washington University of St Louis in Missouri, USA where I completed my third fellowship in HPB Surgery and Surgical Oncology. I was the first Fellow ever from outside North America to get this position and the clinical focus was in performing minimally invasive (Laparoscopic/ Robotic) HPB Surgery. I am New Zealand’s only HPB surgeon with formal robotic training and offer Robotic/ Laparoscopic HPB Surgery in conjunction with my colleagues at Harbour Surgery Centre.

An important part of my professional life is my dedication to surgical teaching and research. During my surgical training, I completed a PhD in Surgery through the University of Auckland in 2013. My research into fluid management won numerous prizes nationally and internationally including prizes for best research from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the International Society of Surgery. I currently work as a Senior Lecturer in Surgery at the University of Auckland and lead a research program with postgraduate students and junior doctors to investigate patient-centred outcomes following treatment for advanced Upper GI and HPB cancers and the outcomes of minimally invasive (laparoscopic/ robotic) surgery. This also allows me to mentor the next generation of surgeon-scientists. I also regularly teach medical students and junior doctors and together with my colleagues at Harbour Surgery Centre, run an annual course to teach principles of advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgery to other Surgeons.

On the public side, I work as a Consultant Surgeon at North Shore Hospital in Auckland. My clinical practice focuses on looking after people with cancerous and non-cancerous conditions affecting the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts, stomach, small bowel as well as other complex cancers of the abdomen and retroperitoneum. I also care for patients with emergency and elective general surgical problems (e.g. hernias, gallstones, appendicitis etc). My expertise is in providing minimally invasive options (laparoscopic/ robotic) when treating these conditions.
My spare time is spent with our young family and I enjoy running and am an avid student of jiu-jitsu. Besides English, I am fluent in several Indian dialects.