ABOUT DR DIHAN APONSO
Dr Dihan Aponso is a Consultant Spine Surgeon based in Brisbane.
Dr Aponso completed his medical training in his hometown of Auckland in 2003, attaining both BHB and MBChB degrees from the University of Auckland. In residency he completed basic surgical training, prior to undertaking specialist training in Orthopaedic Surgery. He gained his Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons FRACS(Orth) in 2013. During his Orthopaedic training, Dr Aponso was fortunate to train within the Auckland City and Middlemore Hospitals' spinal units as well as the Wellington Regional Hospital scoliosis unit. This exposure enabled him to be mentored and learn skills from some of New Zealand's leading spine surgeons and cemented his interest in spinal surgery.
Moving to Melbourne in 2014, Dr Aponso undertook subspecialty Foot and Ankle surgical training at the prestigious Alfred Hospital. With his keen interest in Orthopaedic trauma and arthroplasty (hip and knee replacements), he was appointed a Visiting Medical Officer at The Alfred during the fellowship. He took part in consultant orthopaedic trauma call and provided general elective orthopaedic care to the local community.
Dr Aponso's passion in Orthopaedic Surgery has always been dealing with problems of the Spine. In 2015 he moved to Brisbane to complete his Spine Surgery fellowship with Associate Professor Robert Labrom and his colleagues. This subspecialty training was undertaken at the Princess Alexandra, The Wesley and Greenslopes Hospitals. It provided a comprehensive exposure in managing and undertaking surgery for spinal trauma, tumour and dealing with the spectrum of degenerative neck and low back problems. The fellowship training also included treatment and surgery for a host of paediatric spine problems, including scoliosis and paediatric spine trauma based at the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital.
At the conclusion of the spine fellowship, Dr Aponso was offered the opportunity to continue as a Staff Specialist in Orthopaedic and Spine Surgery at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. He was delighted to take up this appointment in Feb 2016 and call Brisbane home. Pursuing this opportunity he continues to provide complex trauma spine surgery to those patients who present acutely to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. He takes a keen interest in successfully managing the tertiary level elective spine problems that are also referred to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. Dr. Aponso is also involved in teaching and training registrars and spinal surgery fellows and is a senior lecturer with the University of Queensland and is involved in teaching and supervising medical students on clinical placement.
Dr Aponso offers a comprehensive practice in treating spine problems. He utilises a unique blend of his expertise in open spine techniques and minimally invasive procedures together with a patient centred approach, to offer his patient's the best outcome. His clinical practice is evidence based and he is actively involved in clinical research. He is well read and stays abreast of advancing techniques and technologies. Dr Aponso attends regular local and international meetings and endeavours to undertake visitations with imminent and pioneering spine surgeons (local and international) so that he can offer his patients the latest and highest quality of care.
QUALIFICATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
Qualifications
Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons FRACS(Orth)
Fellowship of the Australian Orthopaedic Association FAOrthA
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery MBChB
Bachelor of Human Biology BHB
Memberships
Member of the Spine Society of Australia
Member of the Scoliosis Research Society
Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Fellow of the Australian Orthopaedic Association
Corresponding Fellow of the New Zealand Orthopaedic Association
Member of the North American Spine Society
Member of AO Spine
Member of the Australian Medical Association