Dr Dewald van der Walt

23/07/2025

23/07/2025

Two more Wednesdays where I will consult in the tranquil town of Mtunzini, with it’s lovey people, at the expense of the Empangeni Practice. From 1 August patients are welcome to book from 08:00-16:30 in Empangeni, Monday- Friday.

19/07/2025

We are very excited at Addison Medical Centre to have Dr Suné Liebetrau join us permanently from the month of August 2025. Dr Liebetrau will initially work the full day on a Wednesday when I consult in Mtunzini, and cover the morning shift on a Monday (08:00-13:00) as well as the afternoon shift Thursday (12:00-16:30).

Suné will cover 14-30 August on her own, both in Empangeni and Mtunzini, and then take up permanent residency from the end of August when the construction of her own consulting room had been completed.

Watch this space for exciting services during Women’s Month with the ever dynamic Dr Liebetrau!

Dr. Suné Liebetrau completed her MBChB degree at the University of the Free State in 2018.
Thereafter she completed her internship at the world-renowned Groote Schuur Hospital in
Cape Town, where she had the opportunity to learn from world class specialists in various
disciplines. From Cape Town, she moved to rural KwaZulu-Natal, where she completed her
community service year at Gamalakhe CHC, working in the HIV and TB clinic, medical
outpatient clinic, as well as the 24-hour emergency unit. It was here that she developed a
passion for public health and primary health care, experiencing firsthand the positive
difference that quality primary health care can make.
In 2022 Dr. Liebetrau relocated to Richards Bay, Zululand, where she worked full time at the
Africa Health Research Institute Clinical Trials unit in Somkhele. Here she was involved in
clinical trials focusing on the prevention and treatment of HIV and TB. She was part of the
team that worked on the now world-famous PURPOSE-1 trial, which demonstrated the
effectiveness of Lenacapavir, a 6-monthly injectable antiretroviral medication, in preventing
HIV infection in HIV-negative women. She also completed her Diploma in Public Health from
the University of Pretoria in 2025, gaining valuable knowledge about public health research
and policy.
In 2025, after the birth of her son, Dr. Liebetrau decided she wanted to return to the primary
health care setting. She is passionate about health prevention and education, and believes in
a team approach, where the health care providers and the patient work together to improve
health outcomes.
She follows a holistic approach and prioritises thorough examinations for all patients. She
specifically enjoys treating chronic medical conditions, empowering patients to take
ownership of their own health and celebrating good outcomes with them. She also has a
keen interest in psychiatry and paediatrics in the primary health care setting.

09/07/2025

Are you constantly suffering from urinary tract infections or burning urine?
Are you tired of visiting your GP monthly for an antibiotic script for a UTI, and then dealing with the side effects?

If you experience 2 or more UTI’s in 6 months, or 3 or more UTI’s in a year, you meet the criteria for recurrent UTI’s, and you should seek advice from your doctor. Recurrent UTI’s are multi factorial, and hence further examinations and management will differ.

Since Woman’s month is coming up in August, let’s talk about alternative ways to control UTI’s on a more natural and sustainable way.

D-Mannose powder is the natural and safe treatment and prevention of bladder and lower urinary tract infections, that are recurrent in women, with up to 88% being caused by the natural occurring gut bacteria, nl. E. coli.

So what exactly is D-Mannose powder?

D-Mannose powder is a natural-occurring sugar that occurs in certain fruits, especially red berries, which helps in the treatment of chronic bladder and lower urinary tract infections. The compound prevents the bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall and causing a urinary tract infection. D-Mannose powder can be safely used in almost all patients, either as the treatment for a urinary tract infection or chronic urinary tract infection prevention, or as an adjunct therapy combined with antibiotics for the treatment of bladder infections and lower urinary tract infections.

How does D-Mannose powder prevents UTIs?

A UTI is an infection of the bladder, the urethra, and the lower portions of the ureters, which facilitate the movement of urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Up to 88% of urinary tract infections are caused by a specific bacteria known as E. coli. D-Mannose powder naturally binds receptors on the E. coli attachment proteins, which wil normally facilitate adherence to the bladder wall, and lower urinary tract. This adherence of bacteria to the bladder wall and lower urinary tract, with subsequent bacterial proliferation causes urinary tract infections. D-Mannose attaches to these bacterial proteins, which prevent them from attaching to the urethra, the bladder wall, as well as the ureters. By preventing attachment of E. coli to the lower urinary tract, infection is prevented and the lower urinary tract expels the bacteria naturally with the aid of hydrating well and urinating frequently.

How do I take D-Mannose powder correctly?

When treating an active infection: 2g (one flush table spoon) three times daily for at least five to seven days. Your doctor might also prescribe a once off dose of antibiotics, mixed in water, as well as a probiotic for up to 7 days.

Maintenance dose for chronic and recurrent bladder infections: 2g twice daily for at least a month, however, D-mannose powder can safely be used on an ongoing basis as prevention of recurrent bladder infections, and often yields excellent results in bedridden patients.

Instructions: Drink the indicated dose diluted in a glass of water twice or three times per day. Ensure adequate hydration during the day, in other words at least two to three litres of water per day. Avoid bladder irritants like smoking, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, vitamin C, alcohol and carbonated beverages.

Which patients are specifically at risk of developing recurrent UTI’s that can benefit from D-Mannose powder?

The elderly, especially the less mobile they are.
Incontinent patients.
Patients who had one or more vaginal delivery or multiple pregnancies.
Patients with any sort of prolapse, irrespective the severity.
Patients with any structural anomaly to get bacteria into their bladders.


How do I get hold of D-mannose powder?

The following outlets all keep stock of D-Mannose powder from North Coast Natural Medicine.

1. Addison Medical Centre in Empangeni

2. Dr Dewald van der Walt and Amy Mathew Physiotherapist in Mtunzini.

3. Earth Spa in Empangeni.

01/05/2025

01/05/2025

Patients with asymptomatic heart disease.

Today I'd like to talk about all those patients that are asymptomatic and unaware that there might be anything wrong with their heart, as well as a useful screening method we have to pick up if they have any coronary artery disease.

I was reminded again less than a month ago with a patient who had absolutely no symptoms of chest pain, exertion on exercise, or any cardiac symptoms and who ended up receiving stents for severe occlusion of multiple coronary arteries.

The test that I want to talk about is called a coronary calcium scan. It's got various names all across the world. Some people call it a heart scan, some people call it a calcium scan. The crux of the matter is that the scan is non-invasive. Hence, a patient walks into the radiology department with a referral from his GP and most medical aides pay for the test, if the patient has any risk factors for heart disease. The patient will on the same day receive a CT scan of the heart and something similar to a 3D reconstruction showing calcium deposits will show up on the scan. Our specialized radiologists will then look at those results and the computer will work out a score for the patient, determining the patient's risk of having a myocardial infarction.

I want to make it very clear that any patient that is symptomatic of heart disease, in other words, a patient that tells you he has got chest pain when he is walking his dog or a patient that tells you he has got chest pain when doing minor exertion working in the garden or anything similar to that, is not a candidate for this screen. That patient should go to a cardiologist and the cardiologist will work him up by means of doing an angiogram which is inserting a catheter into his arterial system, looking at the coronary arteries, and if they are blocked, open up the blockage with a stent, or plan heart surgery.

The role of the coronary calcium scan is for the asymptomatic patient with lots of other risk factors. These risk factors include the following:
• a family history of heart disease, especially in all direct male relatives.
• Having a disease like diabetes mellitus
• Gout
• Central obesity
• A sedentary lifestyle and doing no exercise at all.
• Tremendous stress over a long period of time.
• A very unhealthy diet containing very processed and very high cholesterol foods.
• A high blood cholesterol measured on annual or biannual blood tests.

There are certainly many more but these are common ones we find in GP practice. It is a very, very good idea to send that patient to your local radiology department. In our case in Empangeni, Dr. Chris Stoyanov and Dr. Carey McKenzie, the two radiologists are both excellent at performing these tests and reporting back to us.

The advantages of the test is that it is completely non-invasive, it can be done at the moment that the GP orders it, it takes a fraction of the time of an angiogram, it doesn't do any harm to the patient and we get an answer regarding the patient's coronary blood vessel health on the same day. The CT scan picture will basically show up bright white calcium plaques occluding coronary blood vessels, and what is very important to take into mind is those calcium plaques occluding the blood vessels, do not include the soft cholesterol plaques that further occlude the blood vessels and reduce the flow of blood and the very necessary oxygen to the heart muscle. These are only the hard plaques so the soft plaques are not shown illustrated in the picture.

In the last month I treated a patient who met several risk factors and was sent for a coronary calcium scan. He scored incredibly high as is indicated on the picture. He was immediately referred to a cardiologist in Durban, Dr. Dirk Pretorius and he was seen, prepared for angiogram and subsequently stents were placed into the areas where his coronary blood vessels were mostly occluded. The second picture illustrates how the coronary arteries are much bigger after the insertion of the stent. In the case of this patient, it was certainly a life-saving procedure as he was completely unaware that he had any heart disease and it just proves the point yet again that as general practitioners we need to be very cautious of symptoms not presenting, always examine our patients thoroughly, encourage our patients to screen for all preventable diseases, and always think further than the main complaint.

All credit for the successful outcome goes to Dr Stoyanov radiologists and Dr Dirk Pretorius, and his team in Gateway Hospital

Picture one: Calcium visibly occluding the coronary arteries

Picture two: Live saving oxygen- rich blood now has an unobstructed passage to the patients heart muscle.

10/04/2025

Please note, Dr van der Walt is on leave from 10-04-2025 & and will resume work on Tuesday 22 April 2025.

For our Mtunzini patients, that means there will be no service on Wednesday 16-04-2025

30/03/2025

Dr Dewald van der Walt completed his MBChB degree at the University of Stellenbosch in 2009. Thereafter he worked in the rural setting, doing his internship at Ngwelezana hospital, where he developed a fascination and passion for rural medicine. After taking a break for three months pursuing a career in wildlife conservation, which he still actively enjoys and remains involved in, he completed his community service year at Gordonia Hospital in Upington, remaining in rural healthcare. In Gordonia he spent six months each respectively in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and General Surgery.

From Upington Dr van der Walt started working full time in the Medi-Clinic A&E (trauma) unit in Kimberley for two years, as well as locuming at various general practices in Kimberley, gaining precious experience in private healthcare from some of the best mentors.

In 2014 Dr van der Walt and his wife relocated back to Empangeni, Zululand, where he worked full time in the Life Empangeni Private Hospital A&E unit, still doing shifts until February 2025. He ran the unit from 2016-2023, when he stepped down to focus more on his growing general practice. This included being in charge of medical emergencies during the Covid-19 Pandemic, and dealing with those unique challenges, together with an unbelievably strong and supportive team in hospital.

As a procedural GP, Dr van der Walt opened a GP practice in mid 2016, in what was to become Addison Medical Centre, balancing GP work with Casualty shifts for 9 years.

I still have a passion for emergency medicine, but it became time to move on to focus on my main General Practice in Empangeni, as well as a satellite General Practice that I run on a Wednesday in the lovely tranquil town of Mtunzini.

Dr van der Walt has a specific interest in holistic medicine, thoroughly listening to and examining all his patients, and working out an individualised health plan for them, with a dedicated team consisting out of physiotherapists, psychologists, an occupational therapist and a dietitian as well as a team of dedicated specialists in 5 large hospitals in the King Cetshwayo District.

Dr van der Walt specifically enjoys treating orthopaedic, chronic pain, and paediatric patients in the general practice, and works closely together with Zululand Remedial School to assist in the medical treatment of their learners.

Services: Dr Dewald van der Walt completed his MBChB degree at the University of Stellenbosch in 2009. Thereafter he worked in the rural setting, doing his internship at Ngwelezana hospital, where he developed a fascination and passion for rural medicine. After taking a break for three months pursuing a career in wildlife conservation, which he still actively enjoys and remains involved in, he completed his community service year at Gordonia Hospital in Upington, remaining in rural healthcare. In Gordonia he spent six months each respectively in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and General Surgery.

From Upington Dr van der Walt started working full time in the Medi-Clinic A&E (trauma) unit in Kimberley for two years, as well as locuming at various general practices in Kimberley, gaining precious experience in private healthcare from some of the best mentors.

In 2014 Dr van der Walt and his wife relocated back to Empangeni, Zululand, where he worked full time in the Life Empangeni Private Hospital A&E unit, still doing shifts until February 2025. He ran the unit from 2016-2023, when he stepped down to focus more on his growing general practice. This included being in charge of medical emergencies during the Covid-19 Pandemic, and dealing with those unique challenges, together with an unbelievably strong and supportive team in hospital.

As a procedural GP, Dr van der Walt opened a GP practice in mid 2016, in what was to become Addison Medical Centre, balancing GP work with Casualty shifts for 9 years.

I still have a passion for emergency medicine, but it became time to move on to focus on my main General Practice in Empangeni, as well as a satellite General Practice that I run on a Wednesday in the lovely tranquil town of Mtunzini.

Dr van der Walt has a specific interest in holistic medicine, thoroughly listening to and examining all his patients, and working out an individualised health plan for them, with a dedicated team consisting out of physiotherapists, psychologists, an occupational therapist and a dietitian as well as a team of dedicated specialists in 5 large hospitals in the King Cetshwayo District.

Dr van der Walt specifically enjoys treating orthopaedics, chronic pain, and paediatric patients in the general practice, and works closely together with Zululand Remedial School to assist in the medical treatment of their learners.

Services:

As a procedural GP, Dr van der Walt offers the following services:

Orthopaedics:

1. Treatment of fractures not requiring surgical intervention.
2. Infiltrations of joints, tendons, bursae, and various structures that benefit from conservative, non-operative management, these include bursitis, tendonitis, osteoarthritis and other conditions, primarily assisting in pain management, and return to function.
3. Collagen infiltrations in affected areas assisting with more rapid healing of tissue.

Woman’s Health:

1. Annual cervical cytology (pap-smears).
2. Insertion of intra-uterine contraceptive devices.
3. Insertion of subcutaneous contraceptive implants.
4. Co-treatment of patients with women’s health pathology, including chronic UTI’s, Pelvic pain, and other conditions, in collaboration with pelcic and Women’s Health Physiotherapist Samantha Harding.

Intra-venous Procedures:

1. Administration of various drugs for multiple conditions such as critical Iron shortages.
1. Administration of bisphosphonates for patients with severe osteopenia, osteoporosis and often as a result of oncology treatment.
3. Fluid resuscitation of dehydrated patients, coupled with their needed intra-venous medications.

Other Procedures:

1. Surgical procedures including, removal of superficial malignancies, via cold knife surgery, or diathermy.
2. Electrocautery (diathermy) of pre-malignant nevi or solar damage.
3. Cosmetic removal of nevi, skin tags, moles, and a variety of dermatological conditions, especially seen in the elderly.
4. Management of open wounds, washing, rinsing debriding and suturing of traumatic lacerations.
5. Surgical removal of unsightly Lipomas (fat glands).
6. Surgical removal of sebaceous cysts.
7. Drainage of abscesses, and further wound care.
8. Early cleaning and debridement of burns.
9. Catheterisation and frequent changing of catheters for patients with indwelling trans-uretrhal or suprapubic catheters, and treating the accompanying co-morbidities.
10. Adult surgical circumcisions.

As a general practitioner, Dr van der Walt routinely manages hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, infectious diseases, and psychiatric patients.

Telephone: 035 772 1044
WhatsApp: 071 226 5027
Email: docvanderwalt@gmail.