Representations

Dr Allan served as President of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia (NSA) – the peak body for training and representation for neurosurgeons in Australia and New Zealand – from 2020 to 2022, having previously served as Vice President from 2018. He continues to serve on the NSA’s Board of Management, a role he has held since 2010.

From 2018 to 2021 he was Chairman of the Conjoint Committee for Interventional Neuroradiology (CCINR). This is the peak tripartite body that certifies practitioners as qualified to perform advanced treatments though the arteries for blood vessel abnormalities of the brain and neck.

Education

He grew up in Sydney Australia, and completed his secondary education at James Ruse Agricultural High School.

His undergraduate education was at the University of New South Wales, with electives in Neurosurgery at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow and Trauma Surgery at Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto. Dr Allan obtained his medical degree in 1994 and then completed his basic surgical training at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, with exposure to a broad range of medical and surgical specialties.

Neurosurgical training followed, with time spent in Auckland, Sydney and Newcastle. Two of these years were spent at the prestigious Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, where he has now returned as a consultant Neurosurgeon.

In 2004, Dr Allan was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in Neurosurgery.

Charles Drake Fellowship

Dr Allan spent two years living in London, Ontario, Canada to complete the Charles Drake Clinical Fellowship in Cerebrovascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy between 2004 and 2006.

This unique fellowship is named after a world renowned Canadian neurosurgeon who pioneered treatment for what had been untreatable cerebral aneuryms on the basilar artery and in the posterior circulation. Patients were referred from all over the world for treatment of difficult vascular (blood vessel) problems in the brain by this great surgeon.

The same centre also developed and headed the study that proved the benefit of carotid endarterectomy in preventing stroke.

Dr Drake worked closely with the neuroradiologists in his department, and encouraged development of new, less invasive, ways of treating blood vessel abnormalities in the brain.

Clinical training

Spinal Surgery

Dr Allan has pioneered minimally invasive spinal surgery — recognising the need for less invasive options. This education began during his time in Canada and has continued since his return with many ‘Australian firsts’ in use of new and innovative techniques.

In addition to his spinal expertise, Dr Allan is one of a limited number of neurosurgeons around the world who have advanced training in both microsurgical treatment of blood vessel abnormalities in the brain and also endovascular treatment of these disease processes.

This means that Dr Allan is uniquely able to offer an opinion as to the best treatment for a particular disease based on his experience of providing both treatments and is able to assist the patient in making the best decision as to the type of treatment to pursue.

Whilst overseas, Dr Allan gained experience in surgical repair of aneurysms (‘clipping’), excision of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), carotid endarterectomy and brain bypass surgery (EC-IC bypass).

Dr Allan completed extensive endovascular training including treatment of aneurysms (‘coiling’), AVM’s (“onyx” and “glue”), carotid artery angioplasty and stenting, embolisation of tumours and for epistaxis, vertebroplasty, intracranial angioplasty and stenting, thrombolysis (for ‘brain attack’ or stroke) as well as all other aspects of endovascular practise.

This training reached (and exceeded) the standards required for Senior membership of the ASITN (American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology) (now the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery or SNIS) of which Dr Allan remains a member.

Dr Allan was involved in setting up the Australian committee that oversees training for such procedures, and is currently the chairman of the CCINR.

Dr Allan was also able to gain further experience in skull base surgery including treatment of complex tumours such as acoustic neuromas, and also experience in epilepsy surgery and in particular, surgery in vital areas of the brain performed whilst the patient is awake (‘awake craniotomy’).

Minimal access spinal techniques and spinal arthoplasty had been pioneered (in Canada) in London Ontario, and Dr Allan was able to broaden his experience in these areas also – including attendance at numerous courses on such topics as spinal instrumentation, arthoplasty and ‘keyhole’ surgery.

Media

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