In Medical Forum’s Meet the doctor series we introduce you to specialists working in WA, the services they provide and what they can offer your patients.
What is your area of practice?
MH: I am a consultant diagnostic and interventional radiologist based in Claremont since 2010. I am in full time private practice and workload is a mixture of Medicare, private, DVA and WC/MVIT.
Where did you train?
MH: I graduated from the University of Auckland medical school in 1998. I then moved to Perth as a resident medical officer and then emergency department registrar in 2000. I returned to NZ in 2002 to commence radiology training with an emphasis on interventional radiology. I completed my radiology training in 2006. My first-year consultant role was in Auckland, however I wished to return to Perth and relocated permanently in 2008.
What procedural services do you offer?
MH: I provide MSK interventional radiology services including spinal and peripheral radiofrequency ablation (RFA), wide array of cortisone injections/blocks, Morton’s neuroma ablation, hyaluronic injections and orthobiologic procedures including PRP and autologous tenocyte implantation.
How is your service different?
MH: I am passionate about raising awareness of radiology interventions that can improve patient outcomes with minimally invasive treatments which have increased rapidly in recent years.
I note current issues facing patients with chronic spinal/ MSK pain – excessive waiting periods; treatments being performed as inpatient GA/sedation procedures when they could be outpatient procedures; and excessive cortisone administrations which can be mitigated by appropriate use of RFA, PRP, and hyaluronic acid.
Most health practitioners are aware of CT guided RFA for spinal conditions, however there is a growing interest in using RFA for osteoarthritis of hips, knees, shoulders, and peripheral nerve pain conditions.
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