ABOUT
Dr Christos Profyris is a Specialist Neurosurgeon who completed his pre-clinical medical studies at the University of Cambridge with Double First Class. He went on to finish his degree at the University of Oxford with Distinction. Dr Profyris completed Neurosurgical training at the University of Witwatersrand and received his Neurosurgery Fellowship qualification from the College of Medicine of South Africa. He holds a Master of Medicine in Neurosurgery from the University of Witwatersrand. Dr Profyris completed the prestigious Charles Teo Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Fellowship. Dr Profyris learnt techniques under Professor Charles Teo, a world-renowned brain tumour surgery expert. Dr Profyris heads the Helen Joseph Hospital Neurosurgery department, where he focuses on brain tumour surgery and vascular neurosurgery.
Services includes :
- Brain Tumours
• Meningioma • Low-Grade Glioma • Glioblastoma • Oligodendroglioma • Ependymoma • Skull Base Tumours • Pituitary Tumours (Endoscopic trans-nasal removal) • Vestibular Schwannoma/ Acoustic Neuroma • Trigeminal Schwannoma • Paediatric (Children) Brain Tumours & Surgery • Ependymoma • Medulloblastoma • Pilocytic Astrocytoma • Haemangioma • Craniopharyngioma • Ventricular Tumours – Choroid Plexus Papilloma, Central Neurocytoma • Chondroma/Chondrosarcoma • Pineal Region Tumours – Pineocytoma, Pineoblastoma, Germ Cell Tumours • Brainstem Tumours • Orbital (eye socket) Tumours • Spinal Cord Tumours • Extended Trans-nasal Skull Base Surgery • Multi Portal Endoscopic Brain Surgery • Complex Brain Tumour Surgery - Vascular Neurosurgery
• Cerebral Aneurysm – keyhole surgery approaches • Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) • Microvascular Decompression for compression of a cranial nerve (Trigeminal Neuralgia) • Chiari Decompression • Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy (ETV)/ Endoscopic Brain Surgery - Brain Tumour Resection
Neurosurgeons with super-specialist focus on brain tumour surgery, such as Dr Profyris, will work up and resect a brain tumour according to the most current international standards. More than 120 different brain tumours can arise in any location within the brain or spinal cord, and the techniques vary drastically. - Keyhole Brain Surgery
Keyhole surgery techniques are at the heart of Dr Profyris's practice. A keyhole craniotomy is a skin incision, and the size of bone removed is as tiny as possible to remove a tumour or address a lesion safely. The steps in a craniotomy are similar to the steps of a "Brain Tumour Resection"; however, less of the brain is exposed. The more common approaches that can be used to access various areas of the brain through small incisions include: • Supraorbital Eyebrow Approach • Endonasal Endoscopic Approach (through the nostrils) • Extended Endonasal Approach (through the nostrils) • Mini-Pterional Approach • Retromastoid Approach (behind the ear) • Gravity-Assisted Approaches • Brain Port Approach • Endoscopic Trans-Ventricular Approach - Paediatric Brain Surgery
Every brain tumour is unique and requires meticulous preoperative planning. Resection of paediatric brain tumours is an integral part of what Dr Profyris does. He aims to provide support for the entire family and develop a longstanding relationship that continues after a well-executed surgery. Paediatric brain surgery is necessary when paediatric conditions present themselves. Conditions include brain tumours, neural tube defects such as myelomeningocele or encephalocele, cerebrovascular disorders such as Moya Moya Disease, Chiari malformation, hydrocephalus, arachnoid cysts, hydrocephalus, craniofacial anomalies, and craniosynostosis. - Skull Base Surgery
Skull base surgery is performed to remove or repair a tumour or abnormality on the skull base, the bony surface beneath the brain. The skull base also forms the eye sockets, the nasal cavity roof, some sinuses and bones surrounding the inner ear. It also has an opening called the foramen magnum, which allows the spinal cord and numerous blood vessels, and nerves to pass through the brain. - Cerebral Aneurysm Surgery
The ballooning of the wall of a blood vessel within the brain is known as a brain aneurysm. Saccular or Berry aneurysm is a common aneurysm. Cerebral aneurysms develop in an artery in the front part of the brain that supplies oxygen-rich blood to the brain tissue. They can develop anywhere in the brain's arterial circulation. There may also be multiple aneurysms. There is a risk that the aneurysm may rupture as there is a weakened spot in the aneurysm wall. A ruptured aneurysm causes bleeding in the brain, which can rapidly become life-threatening. Treatment depends on the shape, size, and location of the aneurysm. Treatment may include endovascular treatment and surgical clipping. - AVM Surgery
The arteriovenous malformation can develop anywhere in the body but is commonly found in the spinal cord. An arteriovenous brain malformation (AVM) is a tangle of abnormal vessels in the brain where veins and arteries directly connect. This creates an artificial shunt where blood does not pass through vessels or capillaries to oxygenate the brain. AVM treatment depends on the size and location of the AVM in the brain and the patient's overall health. Treatment can include AVM surgery, endovascular treatment, and stereotactic radiosurgery. - Microvascular Decompression
Microvascular Decompression is a minimally invasive surgical procedure definitively treating various cranial nerve disorders and neuralgias. Neuralgia is a condition that causes severe facial pain due to the compression of the trigeminal nerve by a vein or artery surrounding the nerve. Microvascular Decompression may also be used to treat hemifacial spasm, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, and other neurovascular compression symptoms. The surgery aims to place a sponge that relieves nerve compression by releasing the nerve and protecting it from further pressure. - Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy (ETV)
Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is a surgical procedure used to treat hydrocephalus and eliminate the need for a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. A ventriculoperitoneal shunt is an implant used to divert cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). An ETV aims to create a hole in the third ventricle floor to allow CSF to drain from the brain, and Dr Profyris will use an endoscope fitted with a camera to perform the surgery - Endoscopic Pituitary Surgery
The pituitary gland is a small gland located at the brain's base behind the bridge of the nose. Tumour growth in this gland usually presents with visual disturbance or hormone imbalance syndromes such as Cushing's disease or acromegaly. The pituitary gland is deep within the brain and close to nasal passages. Therefore, an endoscope will allow access to this area to remove a tumour through the nose. This type of keyhole surgery is known as transsphenoidal endoscopic surgery.
