126 O'Dell Street Armidale NSW 2350
All appointments: 6766 7685
About Us
General Surgical Service
Our aim is to provide an effective and timely general surgical consulting and procedural service to the community of Armidale and the Northern Tablelands. As of July 2018 Dr Peter A Girardi commenced practicing as the General Surgeon in place of Dr Arnold Seglenieks who retired from surgical practice. Dr Girardi is an Australian-trained specialist general surgeon with a broad interest and experience well suited to the requirements of a busy rural practice. Consulting services and minor surgical procedures are carried out in private rooms independent of the local hospitals. At present, all hospital-based procedures (including gastroscopy and colonoscopy) are scheduled in Armidale or Tamara Private Hospital. Private health cover is not required for assessment and treatment in the Armidale General Surgery rooms, but is recommended for admissions to the private hospital. Please enquire about the option of self-funding your procedure in Armidale Private Hospital, Tamara Private Hospital or North Shore Private if you do not have private insurance.
The Surgeon
Born and trained in Adelaide, South Australia, Dr Peter Girardi's experience allows him to provide a broad range of services appropriate for the wide range of general surgical needs of the local and surrounding Northern New England rural communities, including elective and more urgent problems. Dr Girardi has been practicing nearby in Tamworth for the past 9 years and has advanced training in laparoscopic (key-hole) surgery and offers a wide range of procedures to treat obesity, reflux, gallstones, hernia, bowel and breast cancer as well as thyroid disorders and skin cancers. We realise there is no such thing as a "one-size-fits-all" answer to your problem, so we never use a "one-size-fits-all" approach to your diagnosis and treatment.
The Office Staff
Our team aims to provide support for both patients, relatives and the surgeon, so that your concerns and problems can be dealt with as efficiently and promptly as possible. This is a busy surgical practice, and you may need to wait for an appointment or for reception staff. There is no dedicated telephonist, and your call may not be answered immediately. We thank you in advance for your patience, as we deal with everyone's needs.
What Does a General Surgeon Do?
Endoscopic Services: Gastroscopy and Colonoscopy
These telescopic examinations are fundamental to both diagnosis of abdominal and gastrointestinal symptoms, and for screening and surveillance of precancerous conditions such as polyps and Barrett's disease.
General Surgical Diagnosis
Your referring GP will usually be aware of the types of symptoms and problems that require assessment by a general surgeon. In addition to such problems as skin cancers and various lumps and bumps, we deal with many abdominal conditions (e.g. gallstones and bowel tumours) as well as hernias, hand conditions such as carpal tunnel and even cysts and lipomas.
Acute surgical problems
You should first contact either your local GP or the Emergency Department of your local public hospital if you have an urgent/acute surgical problem (e.g. abscess, abdominal pain, painful hernia, significant traumatic injury or bleeding). After the initial medical assessment, the on-call surgeon can then be contacted for further advice.