HEALING HANDS: SISTERS BEHIND LIFE-CHANGING SURGERIES FOR WOMEN
- Charlotte Bolt
- 30 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Hundreds of women are repairing their bodies with successful life-changing surgery at Mater Private Hospital in South Brisbane, thanks to two Mater doctors who are sisters.
Mater plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Diana Kennedy and her sister Dr Agustina Frankel, an anaesthetist, have a strong focus on women’s health, with breast cancer reconstruction, breast surgery and abdominal reconstruction topping their adult surgical procedures list.
Dr Kennedy and Dr Frankel say their work in women's health has been shaped in part by their own experiences as women and mothers.
Dr Kennedy has two children, George (8) and Benedict (5), and said she puts in as much effort as possible when it comes to being a mum and a surgeon.
"My hope and aim is to do both jobs to the highest standard, and the way to do this is through consistency of effort and a willingness to work hard,” Dr Kennedy said.
“I’m so grateful for the support of my husband, Brendan, who shares this common goal for our family.”
Dr Kennedy explained that her days during the week were spent getting her children organised for school, followed by daily ward rounds, operating at Mater Private Hospital Brisbane or Queensland Children’s Hospital, or consulting in her private practice on Wickham Terrace.
On the weekends, Dr. Kennedy rounds on her patients early before heading to her boys’ sports activities. She then travels to her parents’ property to ride their horses and “spend time away from devices.”
Dr Kennedy said the surgeries she performs with her sister can have a profoundly positive impact on patients' lives.
“Women don’t need to suffer back pain or incontinence - reconstructive surgery for this is such an important part of women’s health that Medicare has recognised these operations as reconstructive, not cosmetic surgery,” she said.
Between consulting in her private practice and performing surgeries at Queensland Children’s Hospital and Mater Private Children’s Hospital, Dr Kennedy also cares for around 100 paediatric patients who need craniofacial and reconstructive surgeries every year.
Dr Frankel has worked in the operating theatre at Mater alongside her sister since 2021.
"We consider it a privilege to contribute to women’s healthcare." Dr Frankel said.
“Our team values respect, high standards and kindness. We offer these values to each other and to our patients.”
Dr Frankel said anaesthetists have a deep understanding of crucial body systems, medications and a patient’s needs during surgery.
“Anaesthetists are also skilled in managing acutely unwell patients and other emergencies. We also relieve pain by performing pain-relief procedures, like epidurals,” she said.
“Anaesthetists teach the next generation of doctors and are part of multidisciplinary teams.
“We focus our energy to ensure our patients have a safe and pleasant experience during what can be a vulnerable moment in their lives.”
Dr Frankel has three children, Adelaide (14), Annabelle (12), Addison (10), and believes a work-life balance is important.
“Our weekdays are packed full of work, school, music and sport, but our weekends are simple. We spent time together in the backyard, and are currently building a garden to attract different kinds of bees,” she said.
Dr Frankel said she enjoyed working with her sister, helping to repair the bodies of women from “big life events” such as breast cancer or pregnancies.
“By the time women enter our operating room, they have been through a long journey,” Dr Frankel said.
“Together with our team, we create a calm, positive and caring environment so that from that point onwards, the focus is healing.”
She said her other professional interest included anaesthetising for gynaecological oncological surgery at Mater Hospital.
Brisbane mother-of-two Connie Sheahan, 39, underwent reconstructive abdominoplasty surgery at Mater Private Hospital Brisbane recently and described the care she received by Dr Kennedy and Dr Frankel as “remarkable”.
“I had a complete reconstruction of my abdominal area after having two caesarean sections,” Mrs Sheahan said.
“The empathy these women give, who genuinely understand your journey and situation is unmatched.
“There’s comfort in receiving care from the sisterhood.”
Mrs Sheahan, from Yeerongpilly, said that after giving birth to her children, Elodie (3) and Harry (18 months), she was “completely uncomfortable” with her belly.
“I constantly looked bloated, and my belly felt like a giant water bomb.
“On occasions I was asked if I was pregnant. I tried all forms of exercise, and consider myself an active person, but nothing worked.
“I often felt my organs directly under my skin, it was awful. What’s worse is that I had a 12cm separation and two hernias that did not show on the preliminary ultrasound.
“So trying to ‘fix’ this on my own via exercise was clinically impossible.”
Mrs Sheahan said her operation was “significant”.
“It involved removing excess skin via a hip-to-hip incision and sewing together my abdominal muscles internally,” she said.
“I have not done this for anyone else but myself, and it is hands down one of the best gifts I have ever given myself.”
