About Dr Ashok Gunawardene
Dr Ashok Gunawardene is a compassionate and caring Surgeon who endeavors to achieve the best outcomes for his patients. He was born and grew up in the United Kingdom and qualified as a doctor from the ...
Special interests
Qualifications
BSc (Hons) - First Class in Anatomy - University of Leeds - 2008
MBChB (Hons) - Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery - University of Birmingham - 2009
MRCS - Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of England - 2011
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy, Surgery - University of Otago - 2021
FRACS - Fellowship of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons - 2022
Awards and Publications
AWARDS
- 2018 Cancer Society – Wellington Division. Research Grant $10,710
- 2017 University of Otago Wellington Doctoral Scholarship
- 2017 Surgical Research Trust and Phil&Teds Research Grant. $8,200
- 2016 Surgical Research Trust and Phil&Teds Research Grant. $8,800
- 2013 First Prize. Poster Session. International Congress for Endovascular Specialists. Arizona, USA.
- 2009 Sir Arthur Thompson Trust, Individual Award: awarded for “Tendon Transfer Procedures to Restore Grip Strength in Ulnar Intrinsic Paralysis: An Anatomical Evaluation”.
- Harry Payne Bursary: awarded by the Sands Cox Society for Elective, South India.
- Finalist. Barbers’ Company Presentation Prize in Disaster and Developing World Surgery. London.
- Finalist. Brigadier Hayward Prize, Royal Society of Medicine. London.
- 2009 MB ChB Course, University of Birmingham School of Medicine: Degree awarded with Honours. Subject honours awarded for the following strands: Biological sciences (Physiology, Anatomy, Pharmacology), Clinical sciences (Pathology, Histology, Immunology), Epidemiology & Public Health
- 2007 British Association of Plastic Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgeons Student Bursary: For elective at Dayapuram Leprosy Mission Hospital, India
PUBLICATIONS
Gunawardene A, Burton T, C Heath, R French. Factors associated with progress from first appointment to surgery in a public bariatric service. Surgical Research, 2024 (In Press)
Varghese C, McGuinness M, Wells C, Elliott BM, Gunawardene A, Edwards M, Vohra R et al. Variation in the practice of cholecystectomy for benign biliary disease in Aotearoa New Zealand: a population-based cohort study HPB 2023 25(8): 941-953.
Gunawardene A. Mackler’s triad in spontaneous pneumomediastinum. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2023, 93(1-2), 437
Mahadik M, Gunawardene A, Sutherland A, Ah Yen D. Traumatic tension enterothorax in New Zealand: a case report. Journal of trauma and injury, 36(3), 258-260
Gunawardene A, Fischer J. Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2022. Doi: 10.1111/ans.17573
Mouat M, Gunawardene A, Sweetman L, Dennett E, Larsen P. Psoas muscle cross-sectional area and outcomes following colorectal cancer surgery. British Journal of Surgical Science 2021:(1):39-45
McGuiness M, Wells C, Gunawardene A, Varghese C. Surgical trainee research, audit and trials Aotearoa- an Introduction into surgical collaborative research for medical students. New Zealand Medical Student Journal 2021, 33:39-41.
Gunawardene A, Manning S, Holley A, Kristono G, Danielson K, Shekouh A, Larsen P, Dennett E. An IL8-CEA combined score is stage-specific in colorectal cancer. Surgery, Gastroenterology & Oncology 2021, 26(4):284-290. Doi: 10.21614/sgo-26-4-401
Cowen S, Gunawardene A, Davenport E. Retroperitoneal bronchogenic cyst mistaken as an adrenal adenoma. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2020, doi 10.1111/ans.16515
Srikumar G, Gunawardene A, Kodeda K. Synchronous small bowel neuroendocrine tumour and lymphoma in a centenarian. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2020, 90(12),2581-2583, https://doi.org/10.1111/ans.15952
Desmond B, Gunawardene A, Griffiths B, Keating J. Segmental dilatation following side-to-side isoperistaltic strictureplasty in Crohn’s disease: a note of caution. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2019, 89(12):E570-571, doi: 10.1111/ans.15001.
Tinawi G, Gunawardene A, Shekouh A, Larsen P, Dennett E. Neoadjuvant therapy in rectal cancer: how are we choosing? ANZ Journal of Surgery 2019, 89(1-2):68-73, https://doi.org/10.1111/ans.14935
Bellamy F, Gunawardene A, Osipov V, Aljanabi I. Intra-abdominal desmoid tumour presenting as an acute abdomen. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2019, 89(12):1654-1655, doi: 10.1111/ans.14778
Gunawardene A, Galvin S. Large pulmonary arteriovenous malformation with paradoxical cerebral infarction. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2019. 89(7-8):E337-338., https://doi.org/10.1111/ans.14454
Gunawardene A, Dennett E, Larsen P. Prognostic value of multiple cytokine analysis in colorectal cancer: a systematic review. Journal of gastrointestinal oncology 2018, 10(1):134. http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/jgo.2018.07.11
Gunawardene A, Larsen P, Shekouh A, Dennett E. Pre-treatment Carcinoembryonic antigen predicts prognosis in colorectal cancer. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2018, 88:1311-1315. https://doi.org/10.1111/ans.14723
Gunawardene A, Shekouh A, Larsen P, Dennett E. Disease recurrence following surgery for colorectal cancer: 5 years follow up. New Zealand Medical Journal 2018, 131(1469):51-58.
Gunawardene AR, Chant H. Facial Nerve Injury during Temporal Artery Biopsy. Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons, 2014 96(4): 257-260.
Waydia S, Gunawardene A, Gilbert J, Cota A, Finlay I. 23 Hour Discharge Post-Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass is Safe. Obesity Surgery 2014, 24(11):2007-2010.
Gunawardene AR, Brown JH, Blann A. Does Ethnicity and Social Deprivation Affect Length of Hospital Stay Following Elective Breast Surgery? Journal of One Day Surgery 2013, 23(1):16-22.
Gunawardene A, Mirza M, Keaney C. An Unusual Cause of Lump in the Groin. BMJ 2012 344:e693
Gunawardene AR, Corfe BM, Staton CA. Classification and Function of Enteroendocrine Cells of the Lower GI Tract. Int. J. Exp. Pathol. 2011 92(4): 219-231.
