Mr Balaji Purushothaman

After completing his undergraduate studies (MBBS) in India, Mr Purushothaman moved to the northeast of England in 2005 to pursue his post graduate surgical training. He was successful in securing a place in the highly competitive Specialty training program for Trauma & Orthopaedics. During this six-year program, he acquired training in orthopaedic trauma and various subspecialties of orthopaedics prior to specialising in spinal surgery. He obtained his FRCS (Trauma & Orth) and subsequently his Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT). He also undertook the AO Spine Fellowship at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Mater Hospital and Lady Cilento in Brisbane, Australia, where he received extensive training in various conditions of the spine, including degenerative, trauma, infections, and malignancy. Mr Purushothaman then returned to the Northeast as a consultant spinal surgeon at Sunderland Royal Hospital. He treats patients with neck and back problems arising from degenerative conditions, infections, trauma and malignancy (cancer). He has presented in national and international conferences and published his work extensively. He also enjoys teaching and training the next generation of doctors and works closely with the Sunderland University medical school. He is the undergraduate co-lead for the Sunderland orthopaedic unit for Newcastle University for which he supervises the year 3 and year 4 orthopaedic curriculum for medical students. He has been the Convenor for the Northern FRCS Orth revision course (2017-2019), which helps orthopaedic trainees prepare for the FRCS exams. He is also the treasurer for ONTEA (Orthnorth Teaching and Education Association), which oversees the educational needs of the orthopaedic specialty trainees in the Northern region. During his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, travelling, and exploring new places.

Cervical spine (neck) procedures Cervical nerve root injection Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) Anterior Cervical Disc replacement (ACDR) Posterior cervical decompression and fusion (PCDF) Surgery for infections of spine (open and minimally invasive) Surgery for fractures of spine Lumbar spine (lower back) procedures Nerve root injection Epidural injection Facet medial branch block Facet medial branch Rhizolysis Lumbar discectomy Lumbar decompression Lumbar fusion Vertebroplasty Kyphoplasty Sacro-iliac joint procedures Sacro-iliac joint injection Sacro-iliac joint Rhizolysis Sacro-iliac joint fusion Surgery for infections of spine (open and minimally invasive) Surgery for fractures of spine (open and minimally invasive) Surgery for cancer in the spine (open and minimally invasive)