Speakers

Speakers invited to present include:

Dr Gordon Dandie

Dr Dandie completed MBBS at the University of NSW between 1985-1989, and then undertook an Internship and basic surgical training at St Vincents Hospital, Sydney, in 1990-1992. He then completed unaccredited Neurosurgical training at Royal Hobart Hospital and St Vincents between 1993 and 1995, and Advanced Surgical Training in Neurosurgery at St Vincents Hospital, Royal North Shore Hospital, and the Children's Hospital, Randwick from 1996-1999. He obtained his FRACS and a Neurovascular Fellowship at Royal North Shore Hospital in 2000, and completed a Complex Spinal Surgery Fellowship at the University of Toronto, Canada in 2001. In 2002 Dr Dandie worked as a VMO at John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, and since then at Westmead Hospital, Sydney. He has been Secretary of the NSW Neurosurgical Association, and a Board member of the Sydney Neuro Oncology Group. In 2007 he became an accredited medical officer at Sydney Adventist Hospital.

Dr Mitchell Hansen

 

I am an Australian trained Neurosurgeon and Spine Surgeon. I grew up in country NSW. My educational path saw me complete my science degree in New Zealand, my medical degree in Brisbane and PhD in Sydney. My neurosurgical training was undertaken throughout NSW hospitals, with appointments at RPA, Westmead Adults and Children’s, John Hunter and Royal North Shore Hospitals. I was awarded my fellowship in Neurosurgery by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2011. I then undertook further specialist training; completing an AO Fellowship in Spinal Disorders in Toronto, Canada.

I have a keen interest in research, with multiple publications in international journals.

I have been appointed as a VMO Consultant Neurosurgeon at John Hunter Hospital, John Hunter Childrens, Calvary Mater, Lingard Private, Lake Macquarie Private and Newcastle Private Hospitals. I manage all neurosurgical conditions, which include cranial, spinal and peripheral nerve pathologies in both the adult and paediatric populations. This includes such conditions as brain and spinal tumours, aneurysms, hydrocephalus, carpal tunnel syndrome and all spine conditions of any complexity including minimal access surgery.

Mr Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson is a spine surgeon, mainly interested in adult degenerative and deformity surgery.  At present he works exclusively at Epworth Hospital, Richmond, Victoria. In addition, he is involved in a number of professional organizations, having been the Chairman of the Victorian Branch of the Australian Orthopedic Association, a member of the Federal Board of the AOA and on the executive of the Spine Society of Australia. He served as Chairman of Professional Standards and Development of the AOA and is on the Professional Development and standards Board of The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons between 2013 and 2017. More recently he has been Chair of the MBS Spinal surgery clinical review committee and of the Australian Spine Registry Steering Committee. He is also on the Executive Committee of the Neurosciences Institute of Epworth Hospital 

Michael has been President of the Spine Society of Australia since 2018  

Dr Andrew Kam

Upon the completion of his spinal fellowship Dr Kam returned to Australia in 2001 and was appointed as a Consultant Neurosurgeon at Westmead Hospital, a teaching hospital affiliated with Sydney University. He is the current Director of Spinal Trauma at Westmead Hospital, and a clinical lecturer for Sydney University. Dr Kam is an elected member of the Executive of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia, and the society's representative of the New South Wales branch of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Dr Kam has a strong interest in cervical and lumbar spine surgery for degenerative, traumatic and malignant conditions involving the spine. Initially trained as a general neurosurgeon, Dr Kam has chosen to focus solely on complex spinal surgery, embracing the techniques and technologies of motion preservation spinal surgery and minimally invasive spinal surgery. Dr Kam currently has clinical trials running in cervical disc arthroplasty and non-surgical treatments of discogenic back pain.

Since returning to Australia Dr Kam's practice has expanded and he now consults and operates at Westmead Hospital, Westmead Private Hospital, Sydney Adventist Hospital and Norwest Private Hospital.

Dr Rob Kuru

Dr Rob Kuru is a Fellowship trained (Springfield, Illinois) orthopaedic spinal surgeon who specialises in the treatment of complex trauma and tumour reconstruction as well as paediatric and adult deformity correction. He holds appointments at Lake Macquarie Private Hospital, Newcastle Private Hospital as well as with Hunter New England Area Health Service.
 
Dr Kuru is currently on the executive board of Spine Society of Australia, and is Chair of the Spinal Prosthesis Advisory Group.

A/Prof Kevin Seex

Dr Kevin Seex is a Neurosurgeon and Spinal Surgeon, born in Ayr, Scotland.  He studied medicine at Edinburgh University - MBChB 1985, trained in General Surgery - FRCS 1989, followed by Neurosurgery at the Institute of Neurological Sciences in Glasgow, FRCS (Neurosurgery) 1997.  After completing UK specialist training, he undertook a Neurosurgical fellowship in Adelaide, Australia prior to commencing as a Consultant Neurosurgeon at Nepean Public Hospital in NSW in 2000, FRACS (Neurosurgery) 2000.

Dr Seex was Head of Department at Nepean Public Hospital from 2000 to 2015 overseeing its growth from 1 to 5 consultants.  In 2010, he joined Macquarie Neurosurgery while retaining appointments at Nepean Public and Private Hospitals.

His practice is now exclusively in adult spine surgery, focusing on complex deformity, fusion, non-fusion and minimally invasive spinal technologies.  He has invented and commercialised several spinal retractors to reduce retraction injury and holds several patents for retractors and spinal implants.  His academic interests include retractor technology and investigating new surgical techniques and technology for less invasive spinal surgery. 

Dr Ralph Stanford

Ralph Stanford graduated from the Medical School at the University of Tasmania in 1988. He trained as an orthopaedic surgeon in Sydney, NSW and completed surgical training in 1999. He undertook post-fellowship training in spinal surgery and surgical management of spinal cord injury in Cleveland, Ohio in the United States during 2000 and 2001. He obtained a PhD from the University of New South Wales in 2001. 

Dr Stanford is experienced in surgical approaches to all regions of the spine. His areas of clinical interest are disorders of the adult spine including degenerative disease, tumours, trauma, infection, inflammatory conditions and acquired deformity. He is closely involved in the management of spinal cord injury at Prince of Wales Hospital and sits on committees responsible for spinal cord injury at hospital, area health and state-wide levels. He has previously been scientific secretary of the NSW Branch of the Australian Orthopaedic Association and the Spine Society of Australia. He is currently on the board of Spinal Cord Injury Network of Australia.

Dr Peter Wilde

Upon returning to Melbourne in late 1993, I took up consultant appointments at Austin Hospital in Heidelberg and Monash Medical Centre in Clayton.  At these hospitals, I was able to treat patients with a full range of spinal disorders including scoliosis, spinal trauma and tumour, as well as degenerative spinal conditions.  After Monash Medical Centre withdrew funding for scoliosis procedures, I elected to reduce my public hospital commitment to Austin Hospital only.

I have expertise in all areas of the spine including cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions. I regularly perform minimally invasive spine surgery (often referred to as MISS) which is appropriate for some lumbar spinal problems.

1n 1994, I established private practice at Epworth Hospital in Richmond where I continue to practice to the present time.