Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Presentation

Dr Ball has given a presentation on Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS) to the Cerebrospinal Forum (CSF) - a group of allied health staff from Royal North Shore Hospital and North Shore Private Hospital with an interest in neurosurgical care.

The presentation outlined the principles behind the philosophy of MISS and highlighted the challenges and limitations, as well as the expected benefits of these approaches.

Minimally invasive spine surgery describes a philosophy of spine surgery where minimising damage to the normal spinal structures is a key goal of surgery. This goal can apply to both the surgical approach to the spine and the intervention on the spine itself. The potential benefits of this philosophy are less pain, quicker recovery, shorter hospital stay and fewer long term complications. Minimally invasive spine surgery is also known as minimal access spine surgery or less invasive spine surgery. It is an emerging specialised area, which requires specific training in instrumentation and techniques. Dr Ball has had specilaised training in minimally invasive spine surgery.

Surgical Education Courses

Dr Ball recently attended 2 courses held by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Newcastle, NSW. The Supervisors and Trainers for Surgical Education and Training (SAT SET) course covered how to effectively fulfill the responsibilities expected as a surgical educator under the new Surgical Education and Training (SET) program. The Surgical Teachers Course emphasised improving educational skills, which were further developed during the course through practical application.