Dr Richard Parkinson

Sydney Neurosurgeon & Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeon

Welcome to iSpine Sydney

Spine & Neurosurgical Clinic

Dr Richard Parkinson is the Clinical Director of iSpine. He is an Australian and Internationally (USA) Fellowship-trained neuro-interventional neurosurgeon and minimally invasive spine surgeon based in Sydney. He has been performing minimally invasive and complex spine surgery for 20+ years and has built his reputation on his conservative approach to spine surgery and his dedication to patient care and rehabilitation.

Dr Parkinson completed his neurosurgical training in Sydney where he achieved Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in 2003 and graduated as a Consultant Neurosurgeon. He then embarked on additional sub-specialised spine surgery fellowship training in the USA, specialising in the absolute latest minimally invasive spine surgery techniques, including keyhole and endoscopic spine surgery.

Dr Richard Parkinson performs spine surgery at Sydney’s leading private hospitals.

Dr Richard Parkinson consults and operates from Sydney’s most advanced neurosurgical and spine surgery hospitals, including St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Prince of Wales Private Hospital and The Mater Hospital.

These hospitals offer the latest neurosurgical facilities, imaging equipment and dedicated and well-trained theatre staff. Dr Parkinson’s areas of expertise includes spine surgery (cervical, thoracic and lumbar), scoliosis surgery, disc and nerve surgery, spine and brain injuries in athletes and physical rehabilitation from spine injuries, particularly rugby players.

Meet Dr Parkinson

Pioneer in in Minimally Invasive & Endoscopic Spine Surgery.

Endoscopic spinal surgery is an ultra-minimally invasive spine surgery technique that offers potential benefits compared to conventional spine surgical approaches, as it results in less collateral damage to the surrounding tissue of the spinal column. Dr Parkinson performs endoscopic spine surgery in Sydney for a range of common spinal conditions.

What is minimally invasive spine surgery?
Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery (MISS) is a surgical approach used to treat various spinal conditions with less disruption to the surrounding tissues compared to traditional open surgery, which involves a large cut to gain access to the spine.

Types of minimally invasive spine surgery include:
- Keyhole surgery (using a tubular retractor and microscope)
- Endoscopic spine surgery (using high definition 8K visualisation)
The goal of minimally invasive spine surgery is to achieve the same therapeutic outcomes while minimising trauma, reducing pain, shortening recovery times, and lowering the risk of complications associated with open surgeries.

Example of keyhole surgery (using a tubular retractor)
What are the benefits of minimally invasive spine surgery?
As opposed to open spine surgery which leaves a large scar and tissue damage, minimally invasive surgical approaches can be faster, safer and require less recovery time. This is due to the reduced trauma to the muscles and soft tissues (compared to open procedures).

The potential benefits of MISS for patients are:
- Better cosmetic results from smaller skin incisions (sometimes as small as several millimetres);
- Less blood loss from surgery;
- Reduced risk of muscle damage, since less or no cutting of the muscle is required;
- Reduced risk of infection and postoperative pain;
- Faster recovery from surgery and less rehabilitation required;
- Diminished reliance on pain medications after surgery.
Although uncommon, there is always a small chance that the initial minimally invasive spine surgery cannot be completed, requiring either a second procedure or full open surgery.
How does minimally invasive spine surgery work?

Because the spinal nerves, vertebrae and discs are located deep inside the body, any approach to gain access to the spinal area requires moving the muscle tissue out of the way.

In general, this is facilitated by utilising a small incision(s) and guiding instruments and/or a microscopic, and/or an endoscope (video camera) through these incisions.
What conditions are treated using minimally invasive spine surgery?
- Degenerative disc disease
- Herniated disc
- Lumbar spinal stenosis
- Spinal deformities such as scoliosis
- Spinal infections
- Spinal instability including spondylolisthesis
- Vertebral compression fractures
- Spinal tumours