Meet Tafadzwa Mandiwanza, who made history as first female pediatric neuro-surgeon in Ireland

Initially, Tafadzwa planned to become a cardiothoracic surgeon, focusing on the heart and lungs. But during her surgical training at Cork University Hospital, she discovered a new passion.

At the age of 25, she performed a subdural haematoma procedure,  drilling small holes in the skull to relieve brain pressure, and it was then that she discovered her passion for neurosurgery.

“The procedure took less than one hour, but I was amazed that I could do it, even if the registrar was scrubbed up next to me the whole time,” she said.

From that moment, she committed herself fully to neurosurgery. She enrolled for training in Dublin and  Cork and eventually earned the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (FRCSI) in Neurosurgery in 2019.

After which she proceeded to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, where she completed a subspecialty fellowship in paediatric neurosurgery in 2021. Soon after, she joined Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street as a consultant neurosurgeon, becoming the first ever female paediatric neurosurgeon.

Currently, she is one of only four specialists performing life-saving paediatric neurosurgery in Ireland’s only paediatric neurosurgery centre. Her work includes complex brain surgeries for children, from tumour removal to foramen magnum decompression procedures.

“Every surgeon is a perfectionist. You have to be slightly obsessive, but most of us are critical of ourselves as well, laughing about her love for order, even at home,” she said.

With how groundbreaking her career is, Tafadzwa faced challenges along the way. Only 10% of neurosurgeons in Ireland are female, and she recalls moments during her training when patients assumed her male colleague was the lead surgeon.

“I had to reply, ‘I’m the one operating on you,’” she said, reflecting on those early days.

Now a consultant, Tafadzwa is committed to mentoring the next generation of neurosurgeons, particularly women, ensuring they have the support she once received.

In 2022, she featured on RTÉ’s Hospital Live, where viewers watched her perform delicate brain surgery on a four-year-old patient — a moment that showcased not just her surgical skill but her compassionate approach to patient care.

“I don’t think I’d be in this position if I hadn’t had the mentors that I had people who had my back and offered me advice and encouragement. I’d like to be available now to mentor other neurosurgeons,  particularly women coming through those long training pathways,” she shared.