Netcare Alberlito welcomes new specialists

Netcare Alberlito is expanding its medical services and has welcomed three new specialists to the hospital – doctors Brian Williams, Charles Breckon and Pierry Kabongo.

Dr Williams will offer his experience as an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist, while Dr Breckon specialises in orthopedics and Dr Kabongo in general surgery.

Doctors Williams and Breckon recently relocated to Ballito, with Dr Breckon expanding his private practice while Dr Williams said the more relaxed Ballito lifestyle had attracted him to the area.

Dr Breckon, who mainly focuses on his work as a shoulder specialist, has been in private practice since 2000 and said it was remarkable how important shoulder joints were in our daily lives.

“The shoulder joint is the most mobile joint in the human body and one must understand its complexity for it to function correctly.

“The majority of shoulder conditions have to be managed conservatively, but when injured or complicated by disease that requires surgical intervention, modern surgical techniques become necessary,” he said.

“Arthroscopic techniques are quickly becoming one of the preferred methods for managing orthopedic conditions as it lowers the risk for post-operative complications. Methods of arthroscopic repair are complex and difficult, but with experience favourable results are achievable,” he said.

Dr Breckon journeys with patients through the healing process, looking to improve long-term outcomes of shoulder procedures.

He became a Fellow of the College of Orthopedic Surgeons in 1996 and worked with prominent Johannesburg orthopedic surgeon, Dr Mack Rogan, since 1997.

He was also secretary of the Society of South African Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons between 2016 and 2018, first obtaining his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees at the University of Witwatersrand in 1987 before specialising as an ortho.

Dr Williams said the move to Ballito allowed him to be closer to family after years of running a private ENT practice in Westville, which he opened in 1990.

“I spent some years as a full-time consultant in the ENT department of the University of KZN, and am still employed by the department as a part-time consultant. I am involved in training the ENT registrars, which ensures that I keep up to date with the latest developments.”

Dr Williams sees to patients of all ages, from children with upper respiratory diseases to elderly patients with dizziness.

“ENT is one of the most rapidly developing and exciting specialist fields. The best part about it, is that patients are generally not too sick and mostly bounce back very quickly. This makes treating ENT patients very rewarding,” he said.

Dr Williams hopes to open his practice in the middle of February and said he is looking forward to being of service to the Ballito community.

As a general surgeon, Dr Kabongo said he loved being able to help patients get their lives under control and back to normal.

“It is a priceless feeling that keeps me going,” said the doctor, who boasts almost 20 years experience in medicine.

He graduated as a medical doctor in 2003 from the University of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, undergoing formal training in general surgery at the University of KZN where he obtained his master’s degree in surgery, moving to Ballito in 2007.

He also has a practice at KwaDukuza Private Hospital.

With the firm belief that surgery is his calling, Dr Kabongo said: “I consider surgery like an art where I use my hands to solve or control a patient’s problem. I know I am an instrument used by the Creator to assist his people, this keeps me grounded.”

Dr Kabongo has spent several years honing his skills at various state hospitals across Africa, assisting the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.

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