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AAP
AAP
Health
Rachael Ward

Surgeon probe leads to repeated procedures

About 2000 patients who underwent colonoscopies will be contacted following an investigation. (Dan Peled/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Some patients who underwent a colonoscopy at health services along the Victoria-NSW border will have the procedure repeated, after an investigation into their surgeon.

About 2000 public and private patients from the Albury Wodonga area who were in the care of Dr Liu-Ming Schmidt will be contacted in coming days.

Safer Care Victoria said each person would be assessed but it expected many of them would have to have another colonoscopy as a precaution.

A panel of experts reviewed procedures involving Dr Schmidt at Albury Wodonga Health, Albury Wodonga Private Hospital and Insight Private Hospital from 2018 to 2022.

It found some colonoscopies she supervised or performed were incomplete.

The review also looked at other procedures she was involved with however no other issues were raised.

In December 2022, an inquest examined the death of one of Dr Schmidt's patients, William Edmunds, who died following complications after a procedure to remove part of his bowel.

Dr Schmidt is no longer practising anywhere in the Albury Wodonga region and relevant medical bodies have been notified.

Safer Care Victoria chief executive Professor Mike Roberts said he believed the risk to patients was low.

"There will be lessons learned from this incident which will be shared across the public and private health systems and with our interstate and federal counterparts" Prof Roberts said in a statement.

Every patient will be offered counselling and follow up care.

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