About Mr Cass
Here is Mr Cass in his own words.....
Hello & welcome to my website.
I am a Spinal surgeon based on the South Coast. I moved down to Brighton & Hove in 2003 to take up my Consultant post at Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust. At the time I was the first Fellowship-trained spinal specialist at the Trust and since then I have strived to improve the profile of spinal surgery in South East England, introducing several new types of surgery, pioneering advanced techniques including minimally invasive (‘keyhole’) surgery & kyphoplasty and developing the techniques of anterior lumbar surgery and lumbar disc replacement. I have a special interest in non-fusion treatment of spinal conditions. I am still the only surgeon in South East England performing lumbar disc replacement.
I first qualified in 1991 from Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School at the University of London. Having completed my ‘house jobs’ in Cornwall & London, I worked at St.Barts & Homerton emergency departments during which time I became one of the youngest people ever to obtain the ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support) certification. Subsequently, I became an instructor of ATLS for many years, teaching dozens of other doctors across the UK, this vital skill which has revolutionised the care of critically injured patients worldwide.
My next post was with one of the first spinal surgeons in the UK, and after working with him I realised this was a field I wished to specialise in. Looking back, I realise how far Spinal Surgery has advanced in the intervening 25 years and am acutely aware of how fast it is still progressing.
Because of this, I love hearing of new techniques, visiting colleagues at home & abroad to learn new advances and, if I think they show real potential for benefitting my patients, introducing them into my practice.
After becoming a Fellow of The Royal College of Surgeons of England, I spent nearly a year doing voluntary work in Africa, where I ran the surgical unit of a mission hospital in Malawi, just outside of Lilongwe. This experience, along with other travels in the developing world, was very grounding and makes me realise just how fortunate we are in the UK compared to so many.
After returning, I won a placement for my Specialist Training on the St Mary's & Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) rotation. During the next 5 years I went on to work with several of the UK's leading spinal surgeons. I worked on the RNOH spinal unit, which is highly regarded as a centre of National & International excellence.
I decided to follow the orthopaedic surgery route to becoming a Spinal Surgeon, as it was clear to me that 95% of spinal problems are related to the structure of the spine (the vertebra, discs & joints) and most of the pioneering advances in Spinal Surgery had been made by orthopaedic spinal surgeons.
I was then fortunate to be awarded the position of Senior Spinal Fellow at The Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney. This is the busiest spinal unit in Australia and, again, world-renowned. During my 13 months there I acted up as a Consultant, working alongside some inspirational surgeons.
Upon returning to the UK I was appointed to the post in Brighton, and was the senior orthopaedic spinal surgeon at the Trust until I resigned in 2017. I was made an Honorary Consultant in Spinal Surgery after I left.
I continue to have an independent spinal practice, based primarily in Brighton & Hove. I see, manage & treat both independently funded and NHS patients. For more information on the conditions I commonly treat, please click here.
Within both my private and NHS practice I can offer specialist advice and second opinions to both patients and clinicians.
I understand that there may be situations where patients would like reassurance and guidance to help them understand both their condition and their treatment options. I believe that I can offer a detailed but comprehensible explanation allowing a more thorough and inclusive decision to be made.
Outside of work I am kept busy with our family and our menagerie of chickens, bees, cats and our new dog, just on the edge of the South Downs. I love to cook, when I have the chance, especially using all our home produced goods. We keep active with swimming, cycling, walking and skiing and of recent months I am being put through my paces by my young son who has developed my passion for rugby & cricket.