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Mr Tolias has been a Consultant Neurosurgeon at King’s College Hospital since September 2005. He has a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Warwick and extensive research experience in traumatic brain injury and the mechanisms of brain cell death. He undertook specialist training in neurosurgery in Liverpool and Birmingham followed by a Clinical Fellowship in Richmond, Virginia, USA. He is the Lead Neurovascular Surgeon at King’s College Hospital and the Associate Clinical Director for Trauma.

He is the first surgeon in the UK to perform the non-occlusive cerebral vascular bypass technique. In addition to his expertise in degenerative spine disease which includes the management of back and neck pain, arm pain and sciatica together with peripheral nerve disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome; he has specialist expertise in the management of neurovascular conditions (e.g. cerebral aneurysms, AVMs, Cavernomas, AV fistulas), the surgical treatment of stroke (decompressive craniectomy and revascularisation for Moya-Moya, Sickle Cell Anaemia and trauma. His expertise extends to the use of radiosurgery (CyberKnife and GammaKnife) for the treatment of such conditions.

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joined 11 years, 5 months ago

Christos Tolias

Consultant Neurosurgeon

Mr Tolias has been a consultant Neurosurgeon at King’s College Hospital since September 2005.

He has a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Warwick and extensive research experience in traumatic brain injury.

Mr Tolias has vast Neurovascular experience and currently has the largest series of aneurysm surgeries in the UK (NNAP 2017).

He specialises in surgery of cerebral aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, cavernomas and dural fistulas and rare conditions like Moya Moya.

He is one of the few surgeons in the UK who routinely performs cerebral vascular bypasses. He also performed the first ELANA bypass in the UK.

Mr Tolias has pioneered the use of bypass techniques in the management of cerebral vasculopathies.

He is trained in Gamma Knife and Cyberknife and routinely utilises innovative neuromonitoring technologies in the surgery of complex vascular lesions like arteriovenous malformations.

He is one of the few Neurosurgeons nationally who regularly undertakes surgical extirpation of arteriovenous malformations when indicated.

His outcomes are part of national databases and remain among the best in his peer group (NNAP 2017).

Alongside his subspecialty interest Mr Tolias has an active spinal practice dealing with problems of the cervical and lumbar spine. These can include sciatica, brachalgia, radiculopathies and pain management through both injections and radiofrequency ablation as well as surgical interventions.

Mr Tolias is the director of the first and only Royal College of Surgeons of England accredited National Neurovascular Surgical Fellowship based at King’s College Hospital.

He has over 60 papers in peer reviewed journals and more than 150 presentations at conferences. He regularly lectures in the UK and worldwide on topics including complex arteriovenous malformations, aneurysms, Gamma Knife and Cyberknife as well as degenerative spine conditions.


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joined 11 years, 5 months ago

The London Neurosurgery Partnership is a unique concept in the provision of neurosurgical care. The team comprises eleven Consultant Neurosurgeons, all of whom are recognised superspecialists in their given area of expertise. As a result we can ensure that every patient seen by the group is matched with the Consultant Neurosurgeon best placed by virtue of their training and expertise to deliver the individualised and state of the art care each patient deserves.

Working as a team also ensures that our patients can access high quality neurosurgical care at all times from a consultant who will be familiar with their treatment plan at a location convenient to the patient. When appropriate, advice and treatment can be delivered by the composite team.

The London Neurosurgery Partnership has access to all of the latest neurosurgical technologies including the CyberKnife® and Gamma Knife® for radiosurgery which avoids the use of conventional open surgery in some cases and Minimally Invasive Techniques for both Cranial and Spinal neurosurgery when this is not possible. A key aspect of making use of such cutting edge technologies is the decision making process involved and this, in our opinion, is best done by a group of clinicians who are used to working together as a team to ensure that the latest technology and techniques are used appropriately based on the latest clinical guidelines.


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In January 2013 Andrew Marr, the 53-year-old BBC TV presenter and journalist, had a stroke after a bout of intensive exercise on a rowing machine in a gym.
 
What is a stroke?
A stroke is a serious medical emergency where the supply of blood to the brain is disrupted. In over 80% of cases, strokes usually happen because a blood clot blocks the blood supply to the brain. They can also happen when a weakened blood vessel that supplies the brain bursts and causes brain damage, known as a haemorrhagic stroke.
 
Andrew Marr's stroke prompted two questions: (i) Do younger healthy people have strokes? and (ii) Does physical exercise contribute to strokes?    
 
Are stroke victims getting younger?
Andrew Marr was one of 152,000 people in the UK who have strokes each year. Stroke is the third largest cause of death in the UK and the largest single cause of severe disability. There are approximately 1.1 million stroke survivors living in the UK and each year strokes cost the NHS £2.8 billion.
 
The picture is no better in the US, where every 40 seconds a person has a stroke, each year strokes kill 130,000 and cost the US $38.6.
 
Strokes are uncommon, but not rare in men in their fifties like Andrew Marr. Recent research suggests that strokes among the elderly are declining, while strokes among younger people are increasing.
 
Between 1998 and 1999 in the UK, 9,000 people under 55 were admitted to hospital due to stroke. By 2011 this figure had risen to more than 1,600.
 
It is not altogether clear why stroke is increasing among younger people, although experts note its correlation with type 2 diabetes.
 
The importance of specialist stroke units
Andrew Marr said that he believed what he read, that taking, "Very intensive exercise in short bursts is the way to health." Just before his stroke he said, "I went onto a rowing machine and gave it everything I had and had a strange feeling afterwards: a blinding headache and flashes of light". He took no notice and went home. The following morning he woke up lying on the floor unable to move.
 
The most important care for people with any form of stroke is prompt admission to a specialist stroke unit, but even with prompt treatment a stroke can often be fatal. 
 
Physical exercise and stroke
Marr, who is making a good recovery, said his advice would be to be wary of rowing machines, or at least of being too enthusiastic on them.
 
According to Dr Mike Loosemore, an expert in sports medicine at University College Hospital, London, "Intensive physical activity after work doesn't compensate for long periods sitting still in an office during the day (sedentary behavior). Lack of physical activity and sedentary behavior are two seperate risk factors. That's like saying drinking less alcohol can compensate for smoking and it can't".
 
In the first interview given after his stroke, Andrew Marr mentioned that he discovered that he had had a couple of mini strokes the previous year. A mini-stroke, or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), is similar to a stroke but the symptoms only last a few minutes. Due to the short duration of symptoms, many people are unaware they have had a stroke, as was the case with Marr. While not as serious as a stroke, a TIA is an important warning sign that you need to make substantial changes to your lifestyle or start taking medication and usually both.
 
Risk factors and prevention
The main risk factor for a haemorrhagic stroke is high blood pressure as the excess pressure can weaken the arteries in the brain and make them prone to splitting or rupturing. You cannot control some stroke risk factors, such as heredity, age, gender and ethnicity. Some medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, overweight or obesity and previous stroke or TIA, can also raise your stroke risk. However, avoiding smoking and drinking too much alcohol, eating a balanced diet and increasing your activity are all choices you can make to reduce your risk of stroke.
 
According to Dr Loosemore, "The best way of preventing a stroke is to eat a healthy diet, engage in regular activity, avoid drinking too much alcohol and stop smoking. I'd stress activity rather than exercise because activity can be done anywhere at any time. Increasing your activity at work is probably better for you than intensive work-outs in a gym after work. For example, at work you can stand instead of sitting and take the stairs instead of the elevator.It's never too late to increase your activity, eat more healthily, stop smoking or cut down on alcohol".
 
Symptoms and aftercare
The symptoms of a stroke include, (i) sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg-especially on one side of the body, (ii) sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, (iii) sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, (iv) sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination and (v) sudden severe headache with no known cause.
 
Andrew Marr mentioned that the stroke had fortunately not impaired his voice or memory, but had affected, "the whole left hand side of my body, which is why I'm still not able to walk fluently". Stroke does not only cause physical damage, it also incurs psychological and emotional damage on survivors and their families. These effects, which include depression and aphasia (problems with language and speaking), are often profound, last a lifetime and are inadequately supported.
 
eHealth and managing stroke survivors
A stroke both debilitates and isolates a person. More than half of all stroke survivors are left dependent upon others for everyday activities. To give more control to patients medical professionals are increasingly using eHealth strategies to manage the aftercare of stroke patients.   
 
Standard behavioural therapies used to rehabilitate stroke patients, translate well into eHealth strategies and onto apps for smart phones and tablets. These include telemedicine, social media forums and apps to enhance impaired cognition and movement. Increasingly, stroke units throughout the country are using telemedicine, which enable doctors to check patients in their homes. This saves money and increases the quality of care. The introduction of eHealth devices means that stroke survivors can take greater control of their treatments from their homes and, as a consequence, feel more independent and less isolated.
 
Investment in research
Investment in stroke research is critical to the reduction and management of the disease. The majority of stroke research in the UK is supported by the Stroke Association, a charity. Each year the charity disburses about £30 million on research, which is small compared to the annual UK research expenditures on cancer and heart disease.
  
Does austerity promote health benefits?
According to an American public health organisation, 75% of healthcare costs are spent on treating sick people with preventable conditions, but only 3% on preventing people from getting sick in the first place.
 
To help reduce and manage the escalation of stroke, more  might be spent on preventive strategies.
 
Interestingly, following the Cuban Missile Crisis, the incidence of strokes, heart attacks and cancer fell significantly among Cuban citizens as their enforced isolation and austerity obliged them to adopt healthier diets and lifestyles. Could austerity trigger something similar in the UK?
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