Neurosurgery
The Neurosurgery service provides a comprehensive inpatient and outpatient service, treating the full range of intracranial, spinal and peripheral nerve disorders.
Clinical service overview
The service treats around 2,100 inpatients annually with around 50% being elective and 50% emergency. Trauma accounts for approximately 35% of the caseload. We have a very busy outpatient clinic, seeing 4,000 outpatients per year.
The service has developed sub-specialty interests in:
- cerebrovascular surgery
- spine surgery
- skull base surgery
- pituitary surgery
- neurotrauma
The service also provides a clinical neuropsychology inpatient and outpatient service to assess and treat patients with brain injury or neuro-cognitive deficits following brain injury or illness. The service can provide opinion regarding:
- differential diagnoses
- evaluation of pre- and post-surgical changes
- treatment and management recommendations
- rehabilitation strategies
- behavioural intervention
- family or carer counselling and education
- a monitoring process of patient changes in functioning over time
- assessments for legal Guardianship and Administration Tribunal hearings.
We are committed to providing excellence in neurosurgical care through quality management, education and training of health care professionals in clinical and laboratory research. The department accommodates a number of neurosurgical training positions, including four Registrars, four Residents and international neurosurgical trainees and fellows.
We also have an ongoing commitment to enhancing our links with other Alfred departments, general practitioners and outside institutions.
Neurosurgery Support Group (NSG)
In collaboration with the neurosurgical team, NSG comprises of voluntary ex-patients and carers, providing professional support to new patients to assist them in their recovery process.
The NSG can provide pre-surgery information, hospital visits pre- or post-surgery, public education leading to early diagnosis of neurosurgical conditions, financial support for and organisation of group meetings, fundraising for state-of-the art equipment for the care of neurosurgery patients, and promotion of awareness of neurosurgical care via the media, video distribution and talks to appropriate organisations.
The NSG can be contacted on Tel: (03) 9076 3380 and Fax: (03) 9076 6067
Exclusion criteria
This service does not routinely offer treatment for the following:
- Patients who are being treated for the same condition at another Victorian public hospital
- Children under 18 years of age
- Patients experiencing back pain without lower limb pain with unremarkable imaging
- Patients experiencing neck pain without arm pain with unremarkable imaging
Refer your patient
Fax referral to us
We accept GP and specialist referrals to this service.
All referrals are triaged by the service according to clinical urgency.
Patients requiring immediate assessment should be sent to the Emergency & Trauma Centre.
If a patient requires surgery, they will be placed on a surgical waiting list. The patient may also need to attend a Pre-Admission Clinic prior to surgery.
To refer your patient, complete and fax a referral to us. For urgent referrals, also contact the service Registrar to discuss the case.
To ensure appropriate and timely triage, include all demographic and clinical details as well as relevant investigation results.
If you are concerned about any delay of the appointment or if there is any deterioration in your patient’s condition, contact the service Registrar on call on (03) 9076 2000.
- Referral enquiries (03) 9076 2025
- Referral fax (03) 9076 6938
- Email enquiries outpatient@alfred.org.au
Our clinics
| Clinic name | Campus | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Neurosurgery Clinic Mondays at The Alfred |
The Alfred | 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne VIC 3004 |
| Neurosurgery Clinic Tuesdays at The Alfred |
The Alfred | 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne VIC 3004 |
| Neurosurgery Clinic Wednesday mornings at The Alfred |
The Alfred | 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne VIC 3004 |
| Neurosurgery Clinic Wednesday afternoons at The Alfred |
The Alfred | 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne VIC 3004 |
| Neurosurgery Clinic Friday fortnightly at The Alfred |
The Alfred | 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne VIC 3004 |