A doctor with a passion for life

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KNYSNA BUSINESS NEWS – Advanced Health Knysna Surgical has once again expanded its impressive registrar of surgeons, this time welcoming maxillofacial and reconstructive surgeon Dr Philip Jonsson to the team.

A man with many a hobby and a thrill for life, Dr Jonsson is definitely a jack of all trades and without a doubt a master of something very specific. Having been raised in a farming family, he initially set out to be a winemaker after school, studying viticulture and oenology at the University of Stellenbosch.

It wouldn't be long however until his career path changed drastically, having met renowned maxillofacial surgeon Dr Frans Grotepass, who introduced him to the field.

Absolutely fascinated by maxillofacial surgery, Dr Jonsson embarked on his long journey to becoming a surgeon and in 2010 he obtained his Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BChD) from the University of Western Cape and made the Dean's Merit List for top 5 in BChD.

He completed his community service at Klerksdorp Hospital in 2011 and thereafter worked as a medical officer in maxillofacial surgery at Kimberley Hospital until December 2015. During this time he also completed his diploma in maxillofacial surgery through the College of Medicine of South Africa.

Dr Jonsson's immense work ethic and sheer passion for his field led to him becoming the first South African to be accepted for the Advanced Oral Surgery Program of New York University in conjunction with the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland in 2015.

Unfortunately he was unable to take up the offer and instead took up registrarship at UWC in 2016. He has since enjoyed time in maxillofacial and oral surgery at the Groote Schuur, Tygerberg and Red Cross hospitals.

In 2020 he made the move to private practice at Mediclinic Vergelegen in Somerset West.

Dr Jonsson's passion for his job runs deep, and his fascination in the field has not waned one bit. "Maxillofacial surgery covers a large scope of procedures and that makes it exciting," he says.

"People mostly know us as the guys that take out wisdom teeth and do implants, but there is so much more to our specialty. I have a special interest in major head and neck reconstruction after oncology surgery and like the challenge that comes with it."

He will be rendering his services in Knysna every two weeks for three days a week beginning on 24 June, bustling between here and his practice in Somerset West. Dr Jonsson is extremely excited to make use of the latest advances in his field to ensure his patients get nothing short of the very best from him.