Kaiteriteri resident Don Wilson felt “extremely honoured” to be recognised for his four decades caring for wāhine (women) during their pregnancies and deliveries.
The Glasgow born semi-retired University of Otago Emeritus Professor, was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year 2024 Honours for services to obstetrics and gynaecology.
Don says his interest in the medical specialties was kindled while studying medicine in Glasgow between 1964 and 1970, and by earlier academics who had pioneered the caesarean section and ultrasound at the University of Glasgow.
He then developed an interest in urogynaecology, which addresses the prevention and treatment of pelvic floor disorders in women, which includes urinary and faecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and sexual dysfunction, while working as a junior doctor in Zimbabwe.
“I was very lucky to work with Professor Hugh Philpott in Harare, Zimbabwe. He pioneered the partogram [the graphic record of labour used throughout the world],” he says.
“Professor Philpott also cared for and operated on women who developed an obstetric fistula, this is a devastating condition caused by an obstructed neglected labour resulting in uncontrollable urine loss due to damage to the bladder and vagina.
“It’s a pretty shocking condition for those women, and is still unfortunately prevalent in the so-called developing world.”
Don says the plight of those women had stuck with him, and after academic stints in the subject back in Glasgow and then in Manchester, he moved to Dunedin in 1980.
There he worked as a senior lecturer at the University of Otago and a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist with the Otago District Health Board (now Te Whatu Ora Southern).
In the late 1980’s, Don was awarded a Medical Research Council project grant related to studying physiotherapy treatment of postnatal urinary incontinence in Dunedin women.
The grant led to collaboration with colleagues in Scotland and England for a larger ongoing longitudinal study of pelvic floor disorders and childbirth, which has attracted more than $2 million worth of funding to New Zealand over the past three decades.
“Currently we’ve just been analysing the 25-year follow up of those women in Dunedin, Aberdeen and Birmingham, it’s quite staggering, about 60 per cent of the women now have urinary incontinence, 20 per cent have faecal incontinence, 20 per cent have prolapse symptoms and we’re looking at different factors relating to that,” he says.
“Pelvic floor disorders have been described as the hidden burden of women’s health as they have a significant effect on the quality of life for a large number of women… they reach epidemic proportions in later life with 46 per cent of women having at least one major type of pelvic floor disorder.
“The majority of those women don’t discuss these issues, nor seek treatment for them, and it’s the courage of all those women with pelvic floor disfunction that has inspired my career.”
Don hopes the findings from the follow up would be submitted to the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology early next year.
Prior to his clinical practice retirement in 2021, Don also worked as a Regional Associate Dean in Nelson Marlborough for 12 years.
He says he was instrumental in assisting University of Otago students, spending all or part of their final year in medicine in Nelson and Wairau Hospitals and general practices.
Don plans to remain active in women’s health research, particularly pelvic floor health for New Zealand women pre and post-birth.
