The Neurosurgery Department provides comprehensive around-the-clock care for the treatment of patients with brain and spinal disorders.
About this service
Our Neurosurgeons treat brain and skull base tumours, aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, cavernous malformations, cerebral trauma, traumatic and degenerative spinal disease, spinal tumours and Chiari malformations. They also carry out microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia.
One of our Neurosurgeons will review you to see if you are suitable for neurosurgical treatment.
Who we care for
Our services are available for people who are admitted to Canberra Hospital (‘inpatients’) as well as patients who are referred by a GP or other specialist.
We offer these services for free if you have a Medicare Card or an Asylum Seeker Card.
How to access this service
Your GP or specialist will refer you to the Neurosurgery Clinic.
Inpatients may be referred by a hospital doctor following an admission.
What to expect
There is high demand for public surgical outpatient services.
We assess all referrals against clinical criteria which is available for referring medical officers. If your condition meets this criteria, you will be offered an appointment.
We encourage you to talk to your GP about the most appropriate care for your condition.
We aim to triage your referral within five days of receiving it.
We will send you a letter to confirm you are on the waiting list and we will contact you when an appointment is available.
What to bring to your appointment
- Medicare card
- Any letters or correspondence from your GP
- List of medicines you are currently taking (or the boxes), including medicines you have bought without a prescription, such as herbal supplements and vitamins
- Previous x-ray films, scans, ultrasounds or any other test results or reports
Where we’re located
Neurosurgery Clinic, Central Outpatient’s Department, Building 1, Level 2 (ground level), Canberra Hospital.
We have directions to Canberra Hospital.
Information for referrers
The Urology specialist team at Canberra Health Services provides consultation, treatment and surgical care for people experiencing genitourinary conditions involving adult male and female urinary tract and male reproductive organs. It operates across both North Canberra Hospital and Canberra Hospital, and your care may occur across both our sites.
Our urology service provides assessment and treatment for the conditions involving
- Acute urinary retention
- Testicular torsion
- Priapism
- Fourniere’s gangrene
- Urinary tract trauma
- Urinary tract septicaemia
- Ureteric calculi- or other ureteric obstruction – if unable to manage pain, bilateral, if febrile, or if progressive renal impairment with a rise in Creatinine >100umol/L above baseline
- Acute prostatitis/ prostatic abscess
- Clot retention
- Testicular mass
- Chronic retention with obstructive uropathy
- Acute urinary retention
- Renal mass lesion
- Haematuria
- Ureteric calculus or PUJ calculus where pain is controlled, there in no infection
- PSA screening (patients < 80 years old who are expected to live and have 2 levels within 1 to 3 months above 3ng/ml or (aged-based cut off)
- Likely metastatic prostate cancer (PSA >20 in absence of acute prostatitis
- Failed trial of void
- Urological cancer recurrence or patient know to other area
- Neurogenic bladder
Eligibility Criteria:
ACT residents only, unless care cannot be provided close to home for NSW residents
>16 year old
Treatment Exclusions
Conditions for which referrals are not likely to be accepted.
Condition | Alternate Referral/Treatment Pathway or indicate if GPs principally manage |
|---|---|
Urinary incontinence in females | Referral to gynaecology Consider pelvic physiotherapy |
Urinary incontinence in males | Private urologist |
Erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation | Private fertility clinic, Canberra Sexual Health Clinic, Private urologist |
Vasectomy reversal | Private urologist |
Circumcision (cosmetic or cultural indications) | Private urologist, some GP practices |
Impaired fertility | Private fertility, private obstetricians, Canberra Sexual Health Clinic |
Hyrdocele / Variocele / Epididymal cyst | Private urologist |
Renal cyst | Private urologist |
Scrotal pain | Private urologist |
Penile deformity | Private urologist |
Phimosis / recurrent paraphimosis / balanitis | Private urologist |
Recurrent Urinary Tract infections | Private urologist |
Renal Calculi (asymptomatic) | Private urologist |
Management of patients long term IDC | Private urologist |
Lower urinary tract symptoms | Private urologist |
Emergency Conditions
Patients with the following symptoms should be referred to the Emergency Department
- Acute urinary retention
- Testicular torsion
- Priapism
- Fourniere’s gangrene
- Urinary tract trauma
- Urinary tract septicaemia
- Ureteric calculi – or other ureteric obstruction – if unable to manage pain, bilateral, if febrile or if progressive renal impairment with a rise in Creatinine >100umol/L above baseline
- Acute prostatitis
- Clot retention
GP Action / Contact: (consider if further GP contact other than the referral will change the course of patient care)
Contact ED admitting officer if the course of management will be altered by the call or help facilitate clinical handover.
What to include in your referral (Territory Wide Referral Criteria)
- Patient Demographic Information
- Referrer Demographic Information
- Reason for referral
- Presenting problem
- Service(s) requested
- Current patient management
- Impact of the problem on the patient
- Investigation reports related to the referral
Condition Specific Referral Acceptance Criteria
In addition to the Territory Wide Referral Acceptance Criteria, certain conditions require additional information to be provided before the referral will be reviewed by our Specialty teams.
Condition | Mandatory Pre-Referral Work Up |
|---|---|
Testicular mass |
|
Chronic urinary retention with obstructive uropathy (post void residual >500ml bilateral hydronephrosis) |
|
Acute Urinary Retention |
|
Haematuria (macroscopic) or suspicious/malignant cytology or lesion on |
|
Haematuria (microscopic) |
|
Ureteric calculus or PUJ calculus (where pain is controlled with no active infection) |
|
PSA screening (patients aged <80 years and are expected to live >7 years and have two PSA levels within 1-3 months above 3ng/ml) |
|
Metastatic Prostate cancer (PSA > 20 in absence of acute prostatitis) |
|
Urological cancer recurrence or care elsewhere for previous occurrence |
|
Neurogenic bladder |
|