Spine Surgeon
I’m an Australian trained Orthopaedic Spinal Surgeon. I specialise in the management of all disorders affecting the adult spine. I use an evidence based approach to the management of my patients and always endeavour to ensure a patient understands their condition and the reasons for their treatment.
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My training
Starting at the University of Adelaide, I did my undergraduate medicine (MBBS) degree. I followed this with Orthopaedic training in South Australia, completing a fellowship of The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, FRACS(Orth), in 2019.
In 2020, I completed the combined Neurosurgical / Orthopaedic Clinical Spinal Fellowship at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. This fellowship developed a broad range of essential and advanced skills for the management of the full range of spinal pathology.
To further my training I then did a second clinical fellowship at Gold Coast Spine, a PFET accredited Spinal Fellowship, with a particular focus on the treatment of pain originating from the neck going to the arm (brachalgia) and from the lower back (low back pain and sciatica).
My current work
I work at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (public) and in private practice. My private rooms are at 208 Melbourne St, North Adelaide and private patients are treated at The Memorial Hospital, North Adelaide.
In the emergency setting I manage all forms of spinal pathology, from fractures and spinal cord injury to infections and tumours.
In the elective setting my area of expertise is adult spine. This means I primarily care for patients from the age of 16 onward. Upon request of a colleague I may see patients younger than 16, please contact my rooms with your referral and we will provide you with more information.
My philosophy and approach to surgical practice
I have a special interest in management of degenerative conditions of the spine. Early on I feel that I was mentored well and one piece of advice that I have never forgotten was “adult spine surgery is the most difficult spine surgery, always take care with your decisions”. It seemed simple at the time but I later realised how good that advice was. Making good (and not hasty) decisions in the consulting room, and then executing those decisions well in the operating room, is how I would like to be treated. I always endeavour to treat my patients the same.
To help in making good decisions I collect patient reported outcome measure (PROM) data. This provides me with objective data about my own practice, as reported by my own patients. I am always grateful to the many patients who “keep in touch” by returning their questionnaires. Many do, and for many years afterward!
REFERRAL TO A SPINAL SURGEON
Explained.
Step 1
See your GP. Explain your symptoms and ask if it’s the right time to seek a spine surgeon’s opinion.
Step 2
If you are a private patient your GP will write a referral to Dr Matthew Rackham. Most often this will be sent electronically by your GP to the rooms.
Step 3
We will contact you to make an appointment. You can expect a call within a few days.