The Neurosurgeons

Professor Neville Knuckey

The success of any surgery would have never been accomplished without qualified surgeons and doctors who conduct them. This entry will be dedicated to the team of neurosurgeons who had conducted my surgery and saved my life. I personally would like to thank Professor Neville Knuckey and all the team of the neurosurgeon department at Sir Charles Gairdner for carrying out my operation and for informing a live update of my condition to my parents and friends while I was hospitalized. I also thank the nursing team at the neuro ward for nursing me back to health after I was released from the HDU. My surgery was both planned and conducted by the head department of neurosurgery of Western Australia, comprising of a group of doctors and a Professor, who is in charge of running this department in all of Western Australia. When I was brought into the emergency room at Sir Charles Gairdner, the doctors were already aware of the possible cause of my stroke, my AVM.


However, due to my serious condition, they had to conduct an emergency craniotomy and the surgeons who were capable of conducting such operations were Professor Neville Knuckey, Professor Stephen Honeybull, Professor Christopher Lind and Dr. Rasmus Langelund Joergensen. All of the mentioned surgeons are capable of conducting my surgery but due to the urgency of my condition and the size and location of the AVM was considered complicated, the department of neurosurgery concluded that it was best for all of these surgeons should be involved. However, the one who is leading and performing the surgery itself was Professor Knuckey. I was lucky to have him conduct my surgery as he has experience with removing AVM's in the past and was renowned by the Neuro department as one of the best in this field.

It was also sheer luck that the professor conducted my surgery before he gone off for his long holidays. If I had my accident a bit later in the coming months, I would have not gotten the professor to conduct my surgery, it would be another neurosurgeon perhaps with less experience and the post-surgical outcome would most likely be very different and I would have both physical and mental defect. A few days after my surgery, The Professor left his office and went off for his holidays and my case was transferred to his colleagues at the neurosurgery department, particularly under Stephen Honeybull and Christopher Lind.

The two professors would often come into my room along with their registrar, Dr. Rasmus to check on my health observation; my blood pressure, oxygen saturation, blood pressure and heart rate. At times when they are not available, they would send in one of the senior nurses to do it for them. It could be said that these two are my legal guardians for the next few months during my stay at the neuro ward, both in the ICU and HDU. Whenever my parents have any inquiries regarding my condition or the next step of my post-surgical recovery, the two professors will always be contacted to give them the clarification that they needed. the main questions that my parents would often ask the professors were regarding the after effects of my surgery and what my potential deficits were. The professors always give them the same response, saying that I will definitely be hemiplegic on my left side as my AVM had ruptured on the right parietal lobe, which is the part of the brain that is responsible for controlling movement on the left side of my body, so they were certain that I will be paralyzed on my left and have little or zero strength on that side. However due to the severity of my brain Injury, other parts of the brain were badly affected and I may have other deficits such as memory loss, speech impairment, and even emotional problems. all that the professor and my parents could do was just wait and hope that by the time I become fully conscious, I would have my memories and mental health intact.