Macquarie Neurosurgery
- Suite 201, Level 2
- 2 Technology Place
- Macquarie University NSW 2109 Australia
- T: +61 (2) 9812 3900
- E: admin@mqneurosurgery.com
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See how you can helpWorld-class treatment of rare neurological conditions
MQ Health's neurosurgeons have world-renowned skills and expertise in syringomyelia and chiari malformation surgery.
The MQ Health neurosurgical and research team began their focus on Chiari malformation and syringomyelia more than 20 years ago and they have made significant advancements in the field ever since.
The team's ongoing research has led to a deeper understanding of the causes and treatments of these rare neurological diseases, helping to ensure more accurate diagnoses and better patient outcomes.
About Chiari malformation and syringomyelia
Syringomyelia is one of the most intriguing conditions in neurosurgery. In patients with syringomyelia, a fluid cyst (or cysts) forms inside the spinal cord. Medical specialists still aren’t certain how this fluid gets into the spinal cord in the first place, which is why the disorder is regarded as somewhat of a physical conundrum.
Two of the most common underlying causes of syringomyelia are spinal cord injury and Chiari malformation. Syringomyelia can also be caused by tumours, infections, previous haemorrhage, and past investigations (for example, certain dyes previously injected into the spinal fluid that have resulted in scarring and inflammation around the spinal cord).
Chiari malformation (also known as Arnold-Chiari malformation) is a congenital condition in which the cerebellum (the back part of the brain) is squeezed out into the spine or upper part of the neck (as opposed to within the skull). This blocks the normal flow of fluid between the head and spine.
Our multidisciplinary approach to clinical care
If you or a loved one are having surgery for Chiari malformation and syringomyelia at Macquarie Neurosurgery, your surgeon will determine your treatment options in consultation with a multidisciplinary team.
This specialist group of surgeons is dedicated to ensuring you receive an excellent standard of care and support — before, during and after your surgery. Together, our doctors discuss your case and agree on a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan.
The team treating you may also collaborate with other surgeons, physicians, allied health professionals and rehabilitation specialists. The same approach is undertaken in theatre, with two of the team operating together on one patient.
Our multidisciplinary approach is an evidence-based model that ensures all patients receive the ideal approach to surgery and treatment for their unique case.
Our research focus
Our research team manages a range of projects looking at the complex causes and treatments of these conditions. Macquarie’s syringomyelia research has been supported by grants from the NHMRC, and from a syringomyelia research foundation based in the United States, The Column of Hope.
Work undertaken by our neuroscience researchers is based on an integral link between clinical work with patients and laboratory-based research in understanding the disease.
Laboratory work helps to understand the best clinical path for a patient, with treatment data then helping to determine next steps in the lab.
“One can’t happen without the other,” says Professor Stoodley, who is head of the Neurosciences Clinical Program at MQ Health.
“MQ Health’s unique model of healthcare means that learning and healing go hand-in-hand. The discovery of new knowledge informs treatment and treatment informs directions for new discoveries."
Current projects
Currently, we are performing clinical, psychological and MRI studies to determine the reason why some patients experience these neurological symptoms.
Our research teams are also studying how and why syringomyelia occurs in patients with Chiari malformation. We don't know why syringomyelia goes away in some but not all patients with this condition.
Our other projects include cutting-edge studies looking at fluid dynamics, fluid physiology and how the causes of syringomyelia interfere with fluid flow. We use animal models to understand the influences on fluid flow.
Already, our team has demonstrated that blood pressure and respiratory changes are critical in terms of how much and how fast fluid travels through spinal cord.
Education and training
Training is a core focus and an essential component of our model at MQ Health and particularly within the clinical discipline of Neurosurgery. We have PhD students working in the lab, plus a combination of junior and senior registrars and fellows. We aim to generate a larger cohort of scientists working so they will keep working in the field after they complete their training with us.
Our goal is to ensure that, when a trainee leaves, they are confident in the up-to-date management of Chiari malformation and syringomyelia.
With us, trainees see many cases. Through conferences, they learn about a range of factors, such as interpreting the nuances of a scan, assessment and clinic, operative approaches and post-operative assessments.
In addition to training, our team is dedicated to bringing together specialists in these fields from around the world and educating the scientific community. Over the last year, we have convened two international conferences in Sydney and New York.
Because we have a large volume of patients, people who train with us are able to learn quite rapidly. With more than 100 patients coming through our clinic every year for these rare conditions, we operate on patients most weeks.
