ANAESTHETIST

Dr Ruvé Kock has been working regularly with Dr Crispin Thompson at Milnerton Mediclinic since mid-2015. She has a keen interest in neuro-anaesthesia and is able to provide a comprehensive spectrum of anaesthetic services depending on the individual patient’s needs and requirements. 

NEUROSURGEON

Dr Crispin Thompson is fortunate to be able to call upon the vastly experienced Dr Arkady Verkhovsky for intra-operative assistance during his operations. Many years in surgical and emergency medical spheres has bred a quiet calm and expertise that is greatly appreciated during the unavoidably stressful surgical procedures. Additional specialist surgical assistance is also readily available should the need arise. 

This operation is usually performed for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, however, is also a very useful surgical management strategy for cervical spine trauma. The degenerative, or injured, intervertebral disc results in a combination of reduced structural integrity and neurological compromise. 

Advanced degenerative changes can result in a narrowing of the cervical spinal canal and compression of the spinal cord. This leads to progressive loss of function within the spinal cord. Approaching the spine from the back of the neck allows us to remove the vertebral arch and create additional space for the spinal cord through cervical decompression.

Degenerative changes within the intervertebral discs of the lumbar spine can result in compression of an exiting lumbar nerve root. The problem can be addressed surgically by approaching the lumbar spine from behind and removing the offending disc material. The bulk of the intervertebral disc is left in position in order to preserve normal function.