Assoc Prof Andrew Danks

Overview

Associate Professor Andrew Danks is an experienced and expert adult and paediatric neurosurgeon. He trained in the Australasian training system, working in all major Victorian neurosurgical units before completing a doctorate by thesis in the field of brain tumour biology. He then completed a joint fellowship at The Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and Boston Children's Hospital in neuro-oncology and paediatric neurosurgery, with the development of an interest in movement disorder surgery. He has worked in a geographically full-time public and private practice at Monash Medical Centre and Jessie McPherson Private Hospital for 23 years since then. He has been head of the neurosurgery unit there for 19 years, and is heavily involved in training and supervision of junior staff. He has been an examiner for the FRACS in neurosurgery for the last 6 years.

Associate Professor Andrew Danks believes in an open and candid style of practice, where the proposed therapies are discussed at length, to allow patients to come to a joint decision with the surgeon. Some conditions may be better managed non-operatively rather than with surgery,whilst the two options might both be reasonable in other situations. In those situations where there is clear advantage to surgery, then this will be clearly recommended, explained and discussed to the level of detail required by the individual patient. The key points in these decisions will be explained clearly to the referring practitioner in order that they understand what has been discussed and why. Communication to the practitioner will be expeditious using encoded email whenever possible. Telephone discussion is always possible.

He has considerable experience and expertise in brain tumour surgery and management, hydrocephalus and its surgical management, medical and surgical treatment for trigeminal neuralgia, Chiari malformations, and spinal dysraphism. He is expert in the management of elective and emergency neurovascular conditions.  He is expert in the management of spinal disorders including cord compression, spinal tumours, radiculopathy, syringomyelia and degenerative spinal conditions. He is not in favour of surgery for axial spinal pain in the absence of (rare) well-defined indications. He is expert in peripheral nerve disorders and their treatment.

He collaborates with 3 sub-specialty neurologists - Professors Bob Ianesk, Dominic Thyagarajan and David Williams - in deep brain stimulation surgery for movement disorders. Referrals for this treatment should be sent to one of these neurologists for their assessment prior to surgical assessment.