Leadership Training

Dr Ball is attending a series of seminars in his role as Head of the Neurosurgery Department at Royal North Shore Hospital. 


The first workshop was held by the Proteus Group on "Creating a Positive Culture"The second was on "The Medical Leader - Why it Matters" by Ian McDonald of the Studer Group. 


These workshops will continue on a monthly basis and will assist Dr Ball, as Head of Neurosurgery, in guiding the department into the future, including the establishment of the department in the newly redeveloped Royal North Shore Hospital.

Anterior Lumbar Surgery Training

Dr Ball attended 2 courses on anterior lumbar spine surgery in February and March.  The Advanced Anterior Solutions Workshop hosted by Medtronic was held in Sydney on February 25 and 26, 2012. The Synthes Vascular Access Lab Course was held in Melbourne on March 2 and 3, 2012.


Dr Ball will perform anterior lumbar fusion in selected situations and these courses provided an opportunity to keep up to date with the latest in surgical techniques with an expert faculty.

Prestigious Book Chapter Published

The 6th edition of Youman's Neurological Surgery has been published and includes a chapter by Dr Ball. Entitled 'Concepts of Disk Degeneration and Regeneration', the chapter covers the basic science and epidemiology of spinal disc disease.

Youman's is a 4 volume textbook of neurosurgery, with this edition described as the 'cornerstone of unquestioned guidance on surgery of the nervous system'.

EMST Senior Instructor Workshop

Dr Ball has attended a workshop for senior instructors and directors of the Early Management of Severe Trauma course of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. The course, held in Melbourne on August 12 & 13, covered new developments in trauma care and course delivery.

Based on the American College of Surgeons Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course, EMST trains doctors in the principles of trauma care. After completing his initial EMST training in 1999, Dr Ball was approached to become an instructor and teaches on up to 3 courses each year.

EOS scanner at Dalcross

Dr Ball's involvement at Dalcross Hospital has allowed him early access to the newly installed EOS scanner at Dalcross radiology.

From the official launch ....

'The EOS Imager will change the way orthopaedic and spinal patients are diagnosed and treated. It will have implications for patients with back pain, hip and knee problems – where vertical weight bearing images of bones are helpful. It has significant implications for children with paediatric scoliosis.

Significantly, the EOS:

• Results in up to 9 times less radiation dose (significant less radiation risk)
• Takes only 10-20 seconds for a scan (patients stand in a booth)
• Provides amazing images of full size standing weight bearing patients (Drs now have one continuous digital image and can now see weight-bearing impact on patients; piecing together of multiple individual x-rays no longer required)
• Provides geometrically accurate pictures (allowing true length and angle measurements; x-ray has geometric distortion)
• Views images in real time (quicker diagnosis)
• Gives better clarity of images (can result in better diagnosis/better view of spinal alignment/potentially less repeat surgery)
• Enables potentially treatment transforming research into spinal anatomy
• Is Nobel Prize winning technology'

Dr Ball has started to operate at Dalcross and continues to work with his mentor and colleague Dr Bill Sears both there and at the Spinal Injuries Unit of the Royal north Shore Hospital.

Teaching in May and June

Dr Ball's commitment to education has continued in May and June.

He was a Senior Instructor on the Early Management of Severe Trauma Course at Royal North Shore Hospital in May and co-directed the Australian and New Zealand Surgical Skills Education and Training (ASSET) course held at Royal North Shore in June.

He was invited by DePuy Spine to speak to training surgeons at an 'Elevating Best Practice in Spine' education event. Dr Ball spoke on thoraco-lumbar spine trauma and has continued his delivery of lectures on spine conditions to the medical students at the Northern Clinical School.

A particular highlight was being invited to the Hills Grammar School to speak to a Year 4 group about neurosurgery and the brain.

Dalcross Adventist Hospital

Dr Ball has started performing surgery at Dalcross Adventist Hospital in Killara on Sydney's upper North Shore. Dalcross Adventist Hospital is owned by the Sydney Adventist Hospital (The SAN).

Dr Ball's practice remains based in St Leonards, where he consults in the North Shore Medical Centre, operates at the North Shore Private and Royal North Shore Hospitals and works in the prestigious Spinal Injuries Unit.

The opportunity to operate at Dalcross allows Dr Ball to continue working with his mentor and colleague Dr Bill Sears and have access to specialised technology at Dalcross such as the O-arm and Stealth neuronavigation.