Dr Nigel Rajaretnam

Professional Profile

Dr Nigel Rajaretnam is a fellowship-trained Upper Gastrointestinal, Bariatric, Endocrine and General Surgeon based in Dunedin, New Zealand.

After graduating with Honours from Trinity College Dublin in 2008, Nigel completed surgical training in Ireland before moving to New Zealand in 2012. He obtained Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in 2019 and subsequently completed three advanced subspecialty fellowships to further develop expertise in Upper Gastrointestinal, Metabolic and Bariatric, and Endocrine Surgery.

His specialist fellowship training includes Endocrine and Bariatric Surgery at Waikato Hospital, Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery at St James’s Hospital in Dublin, and most recently an ANZMOSS-accredited Upper Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship at Austin Health in Melbourne. During this fellowship he gained extensive experience in complex oesophago-gastric surgery, revisional bariatric surgery, advanced minimally invasive surgery, and multidisciplinary obesity care.

Nigel is a Consultant Surgeon at Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Southern and practices privately at Intus Specialist Health Care in Dunedin. He also operates in Mercy Hospital Dunedin and Southern Cross Hospital, Invercargill. He is committed to providing evidence-based, patient-centred care and believes that every patient deserves to feel heard, informed and supported throughout their treatment journey.

His clinical practice encompasses Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Endocrine Surgery, advanced laparoscopic surgery and diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy.

Alongside his clinical work, Nigel maintains a strong interest in surgical education and research. He has held academic appointments at Trinity College Dublin as Assistant Professor in Surgery.

Currently – he is the Convenor of the ALM 6 Trauma/Critical Care Module at the University of Otago, where he is involved in teaching and mentoring medical students and junior doctors. He is an ANZMOSS accredited mentor, participating actively in their mentorship program.

He continues to contribute to national and international research collaborations in Upper GI and Bariatric Surgery.

Professional Memberships

• Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS)

• Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (MRCS)

• Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand Gastric and Oesophageal Surgery Association (AANZGOSA)

• Australia and New Zealand Metabolic and Obesity Surgery Society (ANZMOSS)

• Australian and New Zealand Association of Endocrine Surgeons (ANZES)

• International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO)

• New Zealand Association of General Surgeons (NZAGS)

Interests

• Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (Sleeve Gastrectomy, Gastric Bypass, Revisional Bariatric Surgery, Weight Loss Medications and Multidisciplinary Obesity Management)
• Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery (Reflux Disease, Hiatus Hernia, Achalasia, Benign Oesophageal and Gastric Disorders)
• Oesophageal and Gastric Cancer Surgery
• Endocrine Surgery (Thyroid, Parathyroid and Adrenal Surgery)
• Diagnostic and Therapeutic Gastroscopy and Colonoscopy
• General and Advanced Laparoscopic ("Keyhole") Surgery
• Gallbladder Surgery
• Hernia Surgery (Laparoscopic Hernia repairs and abdominal wall reconstruction)
• Skin Lesions and Soft Tissue Surgery

Qualifications

Vocational Scope

Post Fellowship Training

• Endocrine and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship (Waikato Hospital, New Zealand) - 2020 

• Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery Fellowship (St James's Hospital, Dublin) - 2021 

• Upper Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship (Austin Hospital, Melbourne) - 2025 

He has held academic appointments as Assistant Professor at Trinity College Dublin and Convenor of ALM6 (Trauma/Critical Care) at the University of Otago.