Orthopaedic & Spine
Surgeon
About Dr Stanford
Dr Stanford is an orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in surgery of
the spine. He deals with all types of spine problems in adults and
operates on all levels of the spine from the neck to the low back.
He graduated in medicine from the University of
Tasmania in 1988 and completed advanced surgical training in orthopaedics
with the Royal
Australasian College of Surgeons in 2000. To further develop his
skills, Dr Stanford undertook a spinal fellowship at the University
Hospitals
of Cleveland in the USA for one year.
Dr Stanford commenced practice as a specialist
spine surgeon in 2001. He has appointments at the Prince of Wales
and Prince of Wales Private
Hospitals in Sydney, Australia. At the Prince of Wales Hospital
he runs an outpatient clinic and is on the orthopaedic and spinal
injury
rosters.
During his advanced training, Dr Stanford researched
bone-healing substitutes and was awarded a PhD from the University
of New South
Wales in 2002.
He continues to conduct research and has a conjoint appointment
as a Senior Lecturer with the University.
Dr Stanford is committed to delivering the highest
quality service in management of your spine complaint. He allows
30 minutes for
your initial consultation and provides individual attention and
an analysis
of the issues causing your back or neck problems.
Should you have
any queries before or after your consultation with Dr Stanford,
please feel free to discuss these with us,
either
at the time of your visit or by calling our office.
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Possible treatment options for spine disorders
The wide variety of spine disorders means that treatments vary too.
It is also true that any two people with the same disorder may
be managed differently because of differences in severity of symptoms
and other medical factors that are unique to each person. In fact,
tailoring treatment options to the individual is an important part
of managing spinal problems.
So, what treatments may be recommended? The following list represents
the most commonly used methods. It is important to emphasise that
only a minority of people with spine disorders require surgery.
Explanation. Often,
simply understanding your condition is enough to relieve anxiety
and enable you to see how to best manage the problem yourself.
Time.
Time is the best healer. Many acute conditions of the spine resolve
themselves in a matter of weeks, regardless of other treatments
used. Again, reassurance is the key.
Rest.
Rest is the natural response to pain, but it is beneficial for
only a few days. After that, gentle activity prevents atrophy of
muscles
and a negative cycle of pain and weakness setting in.
Exercise.
General fitness and weight control are always beneficial to well
being. Walking and swimming are good ways to keep fit with back
and neck problems. In some instances, concerted exercise programs
are
advised.
Physiotherapy.
Physiotherapists provide their own assessment and management
programs. In general, they choose between local modalities (massage,
manipulation,
ultrasound, traction etc) and exercises for mobility and
strength of the spine and related joints. Some physiotherapy
practices use
heated pools to promote muscle strength with the soothing and
supportive effects of water – hydrotherapy.
Medications.
Simple pain relieving and anti-inflammatory agents are best.
There is a wide choice of such agents to suit different people.
Sometimes
it is necessary to use specific medicines directed at nerve-derived
pain.
Injections of cortisone.
Pinched nerves and arthritic joints in the spine cause pain through
inflammation. In some cases it is possible to inject cortisone
around the affected structure in order to reduce inflammation.
This can
be used to treat symptoms in chosen situations and confirm the
source of pain. Such injections are best done by radiologists
or pain specialists
using x-ray equipment to guide the needle to the right spot.
Braces and splints.
These are most commonly used after injuries. Soft neck collars
or elasticised lumbar braces may help simple neck or back pain
for limited
periods.
Surgery.
Again, surgery is appropriate for only a small percentage of
those with spine problems. Usually, it is used to relieve unremitting
pain
from pinched nerves or loss of function due to spinal cord compression.
There are other, important reasons to operate, but
these are less common. It must be understood that surgery has
limitations and so the expectations of the person undergoing
the procedure must match what is possible, rather than a wished
for ideal. The important thing is that the decision to proceed
to surgery is made after open discussion of the problem and the
symptoms are understood from the perspective of the person with
the pain.
Minimally invasive surgery. Also known as keyhole or minimal access surgery. Dr Stanford
is trained in and uses these techniques when appropriate. A number
of spinal conditions requiring surgery may be approached by minimal
methods, but others are simply too complicated and can only be
treated properly by traditional means.
Questions.
Should you have any queries before or after your consultation
with Dr Stanford, please feel free to discuss these with us,
either at
the time of your visit or by contacting us (see below).
top home Qualifications and experience
SURGICAL
QUALIFICATION
Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, FRACS, 2000.
TERTIARY QUALIFICATIONS
B.Med.Sci. 1985, University of Tasmania.
MB,BS. 1988, University of Tasmania.
PhD. 2002, University of New South Wales.
HONOURS AND AWARDS
Australian College of Occupational Medicine Prize, 1988.
Sir Roy McCaughey Surgical Research Fellowship: Royal Australasian
College of Surgeons, 1998.
Zimmer Perpetual Trophy: Australian Orthopaedic Association ASM,
1998.
Alan Frederick Dwyer Prize: Australian Orthopaedic Registrars
Association ASM, 1998.
Rob Johnston Award: Spine Society of Australia ASM, 1999.
ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Early Management of Severe Trauma Certification: Royal Australasian
College of Surgeons, 1992.
AO Basic Course in Operative Management of Fractures and Non-Unions,
1992.
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates Certification:
1992.
Laboratory Animal Care Certificate: University of New South
Wales, 1997.
Good Laboratory Practice: Pharma Systems, 1997.
Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Fellowship, Case Western Reserve University
Hospitals of Cleveland, 2000-2001.
Advanced Techniques in Spine Surgery, Medtronic, 2002.
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, North American Spine Society,
2003.
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Services and appointments
Prince of Wales Private Hospital
Sydney |
Orthopaedic Surgeon |
Prince of
Wales Hospital
Sydney |
Orthopaedic Staff Specialist
Department of Orthopaedics
Spine trauma roster
Orthopaedic general trauma roster |
University of NSW |
Senior Lecturer, Conjoint |
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Current Research
- Mechanical testing of new pedicle screw designs
that offer surgical flexibility and improved fatigue resistance compared
with true
multiaxial designs.
Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Prince of Wales Hospital.
R Stanford, WR Walsh.
- Spinal cord injury in the setting of
suicide attempts. Review of cases from spinal cord injury
units at Royal North Shore
and Prince of Wales Hospitals.
R Stanford, R Soden, R Bartrop, TKF Taylor, S Engel.
- Bone growth in polylactide reinforced coralline
hydroxyapatite cages.
Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Prince of Wales Hospital.
WR Walsh, R Stanford.
Publications
- Sterilisation Of Contaminated Bone-Tendon Grafts:
methods using 10% Povidone-Iodine Solution.
RE Stanford, M Solomon, M Levik, L Kohan and Prof S Bell.
Orthopedics (Thorofare) 22:6 June 1999.
- Migration of a Knowle’s
pin from the neck of femur to the knee joint. A case report.
RE Stanford and L Kohan.
Orthopedics (Thorofare) - 23:3 March 2000.
- A novel, resorbable suture anchor: pullout
strength from the human cadaver greater tuberosity.
RE Stanford, J Harrison, J Goldberg, DH Sonnabend, M Alvis and
WR Walsh.
J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2001 May-Jun;10(3):286-91.
- Mechanical
Analysis of Polyaxial Pedicle Screws: ASTM F1717.
A Loefler, RE Stanford, PM Stanford, WR Walsh.
Spine – accepted for publication.
- Spinal Fusion Using an Autologous Growth Factor
Gel and a Porous Resorbable Ceramic. Walsh WR,
Loefler A, Nicklin S, Arm D, Stanford RE, Yu Y, Harris R, Gillies
M. European Spine Journal. Accepted for publication 07/03.
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Practice Information
| Randwick:
|
Suite 30, Level 7
Prince of Wales Private Hospital
Barker Street
Randwick NSW |
Tel: 02 9650 4893
Fax: 02 9650 4905 |
|
Dr Stanford's office is situated in the POW Private
Hospital. Parking is indicated by the blue P on
Easy Street. |
 |
| Chatswood:
|
Gallery Arcade, Level 2
445 Victoria Avenue
Chatswood NSW |
|
|
The Gallery Arcade is indicated in pink. Parking is available
in the Westfield shopping centre, indicated in green.
|
Postal Address: |
Dr Ralph Stanford
Locked Bag 2
Prince of Wales Private Hospital
Randwick NSW 2031 |
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Making an Appointment
| |
Telephone Betsie
Mathews,
our Practice Manager, on 02
9650 4893 if you would like make an appointment to
see Dr Stanford.
Please come 15
minutes early to complete the paperwork. |
What to bring: |
Letter from referring doctor.
All
xrays and scans.
Completed forms - see below.
|
What
to expect: |
Provide contact details.
Insurance and
compensation details.
Privacy consent.
|
Forms to complete & bring: |
Medical history including current medications.
Click here to see the form - then
print a copy so you can fill it out. Please bring the completed Medical
History Form with you when you come in for your consultation.
Personal details need to be collected. Click here to
see the form - then print a copy so you can fill it out. Please
bring the completed Patient Acquaintance Form with
you when you come in for your consultation.
We will ask you to record the location of your pain on this
diagram (below). Click on the diagram to print
a copy you can use to indicate the exact location of the pain
you are experiencing. Please bring it with you when you come
in for your consultation.
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