ABOUT DR ALEX
Surgeon.
Educator.
Storyteller.
I'm a breast and menopause specialist surgeon based in Wellington, New Zealand. I built this space because I believe every woman deserves to truly understand what's happening in her own body — and that medicine shouldn't require a medical degree to understand.
FRACS
Consultant Surgeon since 2013
MY STORY
From Croatia
to Wellington
operating theatre.
The path from Pula, in Croatia, to a surgical career in Wellington was anything but direct. Here's how I got here, and why I do what I do.
01 - Origins
Growing up in Croatia — and then New Zealand
I grew up in Croatia, and in 1995 my family made the significant decision to move to New Zealand. It was a huge transition — new country, new language, new culture — but New Zealand became home quickly. I still feel deeply connected to both places.
I completed my medical training at the University of Otago, which gave me not just a medical education but a strong sense of what New Zealand medicine stands for: patient-centred care, evidence-based practice, and genuine human connection in the consultation room.
02 - Becoming a Surgeon
Surgical training across New Zealand and Sydney
After graduating, I completed my surgical training across New Zealand, which involved working in multiple centres and gaining broad experience across general and specialist surgery. I then sub-specialised in Breast and Endocrine Surgery in Sydney — a formative period that shaped how I think about both the technical and human dimensions of breast cancer care.
I was drawn to breast surgery because it sits at the intersection of precision, complexity, and deeply personal impact. A breast cancer diagnosis changes a woman's life. Being part of how that story unfolds — and how it ends — is a privilege I don't take lightly.
03 - Wellington
Building a specialist practice in Wellington
Since 2013, I've been working as a consultant breast and endocrine surgeon in the Wellington region. I run two specialist private practices: My Breast Care Centre, focused on breast surgery, and Menopause & Me, which offers specialist menopause and HRT consultations.
Wellington feels like exactly the right place to do this work.
04 - The YouTube Channel
Why I started making videos and writing online
I kept seeing the same pattern in clinic: women coming in with a diagnosis or a question, having already spent hours on Google, and still feeling confused and frightened. Not because the information wasn't out there — but because it wasn't explained well, or it wasn't explained for them.
I started making videos because I wanted to change that. Not to replace the clinic appointment, but to make what happens before and after it so much more useful. If a woman arrives at my rooms already understanding what a hormone receptor positive tumour means, or why dense breast tissue matters, we can have a completely different conversation.
That's what this channel is for. Evidence-based, jargon-free, and genuinely useful — for the woman sitting in the waiting room, and for the one who just wants to understand her own body better.
WHAT DRIVES ME
"Women deserve to understand
what is happening in their own bodies."
Too much of medicine is still communicated in ways that exclude the very people it's meant to help. Complex language, rushed appointments, and a culture that can make patients feel they shouldn't ask too many questions — it all adds up to women leaving consultations more confused than when they arrived.
That's the gap I'm trying to close. Not by simplifying the medicine — the science is what it is — but by explaining it clearly, without condescension, and with the respect that every patient deserves. You can understand this. You should understand this. It's your body.
This channel, this newsletter, and these resources exist to give you the information that helps you ask better questions, make more confident decisions, and feel less alone in whatever you're navigating.
TRAINING & CREDENTIALS
The qualifications behind the content
Everything I publish is grounded in specialist surgical training and ongoing engagement with the clinical literature.
🎓
MBChB — University of Otago
Undergraduate medical degree from one of New Zealand's two medical schools, renowned for its clinical training programme.
📍
Consultant Surgeon — Wellington
Practising as a consultant breast and endocrine surgeon in the Wellington region since 2013.
🔬
FRACS — General Surgery
Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. The highest surgical qualification awarded in New Zealand and Australia.
🔁
Ongoing CPD & Conference Attendance
Regular attendance at breast surgery conferences including UK breast conferences, ensuring clinical content reflects the latest evidence.
🏥
Sub-speciality — Sydney
Advanced sub-speciality training in Breast and Endocrine Surgery in Sydney, focusing on surgical oncology and complex breast cases.
💬
Two Specialist Private Practices
My Breast Care Centre and Menopause & Me, both based in Wellington.
BEYOND THE CLINIC
The person behind the surgeon
I believe that the best doctors are fully human — curious about the world, interested in ideas, connected to life outside their specialty. Here's a little of who I am when I'm not in the operating theatre.
I grew up in Croatia and feel a deep connection to that part of the world — its culture, its landscape, and its directness. New Zealand has been my home for thirty years, and I love it for completely different reasons: the outdoors, the pace, the people.
Walking is how I think. Some of my best ideas for videos or clinical approaches have come on a long walk somewhere beautiful. Cooking is how I decompress — I love recipes that reward patience and good ingredients.
🥾
Walks
New Zealand, Croatia, Australia, UK — if there's a trail, I want to walk it.
📱
YouTube & TikTok
Educational content — science, medicine, ideas. Always learning.
🍳
Cooking
Cumin, harissa, thyme. Food that takes time and tastes like it.
✈️
Medical conferences
UK breast conferences and beyond — staying at the edge of the field.
LOOKING FOR CLINICAL CARE?
This site is about education.
For appointments, visit my practices.
If you're looking to make an appointment, get a referral, or discuss your care, please reach out through one of my dedicated clinical practices below.
Breast Surgery
My Breast Care Centre
Specialist breast surgery in Wellington. Breast lumps, cancer, breast cancer risk, surveillance, and second opinions.
Menopause & HRT
Menopause & Me
Expert menopause and HRT consultations in Wellington. Evidence-based care for perimenopause and beyond, in a specialist setting
STAY IN THE LOOP
Get the research,
before everyone else does.
One email per week. New studies decoded, clinical questions answered, and early access to everything I publish. No spam, no fluff — just medicine, explained well.
LINK TO KIT