Dr Richard Parkinson

Neurosurgeon & Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeon in Darlinghurst

About Me

stvincentsclinichospital stvincentsclinic mater pwph02

Welcome to iSpine Neurosurgery

A Leading Darlinghurst Neurosurgery Clinic

Dr Richard Parkinson is the Clinical Director of iSpine Neurosurgery and is a Fellowship-trained neuro-interventional neurosurgeon and minimally invasive spine surgeon (“keyhole surgery”) based in Sydney. He has been performing minimally invasive and complex spinal surgery for 20+ years and has built his reputation on his conservative approach to patient care and surgery.

Dr Parkinson completed his neurosurgical training in Sydney, Australia where he achieved Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in 2003, after which he embarked on additional sub-specialised spinal surgery fellowship training in the USA specialising in minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques.

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 spinal surgery hospital, including St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Prince of Wales Private Hospital and The Mater Hospital.

These hospitals offer the latest imaging and surgical equipment, as well as leading cardiac and onsite medical facilities to ensure surgery is performed in the safest setting attainable. Dr Parkinson’s areas of expertise include spine surgery and complex multi-level spinal surgery, scoliosis surgery, disc and nerve surgery, spine and brain injuries in athletes and physical rehabilitation from spinal injuries, particularly rugby players.

Learn More

racs02 headway-imported-image11 ssoa nsoaa headway-imported-image10 nass-2 aans
  • What is the goal of minimally invasive spine surgery?

    The goal of minimally invasive spine (MIS) surgery is to stabilise the vertebral bones and spinal joints and relieve any pressure being applied to the spinal nerves — often a result of conditions such as spinal instability, bone spurs, herniated discs, scoliosis or spinal tumours.

  • What are the benefits of minimally invasive spine surgery?

    As opposed to open spine surgery, 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 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 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

Have a question about your condition or wish to make an enquiry? We are more than happy to answer your questions.

Contact Us