SPINE NEURO 
SPECIALIST CENTRE

DR. RAJENDRA TIRUCHELVARAYAN

Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon and Spine Surgeon

MBBSNational University of Singapore

MRCSMember Royal College of Surgeons (Ireland)

MMedMaster of Medicine(Surgery) Singapore

FRCS(UK)Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons (Neurosurgery)

Dr Rajendra Tiruchelvarayan is a Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon at Spine Neuro Specialist Medical Centre, based in Gleneagles Medical Centre. He treats many Neurosurgical Conditions, and his two areas of sub-speciality include: spine surgery and children’s neurosurgery. After completing his basic neurosurgery training in Singapore, he was awarded a Ministry of Health Fellowship(HMDP) to the UK from 2005-2006. He continued his further speciality training in London UK, at St George’s Hospital(Atkinson Morley Wing) in 2005. In St George’s Hospital, he trained in the treatment of patients with Head injury, Brain tumors, Strokes and Aneurysms. Subsequently, he underwent further training at King’s College Hospital. During this period he trained in complex spine surgery, including Lumbar fusion methods and Cervical artificial disc replacement. He subsequently presented the surgical results at the British Cervical Spine Society Meeting. Dr Raj also was trained in Neuro-Endoscopic Surgery there, and the successful usage of this minimally invasive technique in Children’s Brain disorders. He successfully obtained the FRCS(UK)(Neurosurgery) qualification in 2006. After this, he completed a further fellowship at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery at Queens Square, London. This fellowship training was for the treatment of Pituitary Brain Tumors.

On returning to Singapore, Dr Rajendra practiced as a Specialist Neurosurgeon at Singapore General Hospital, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and also Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He performed surgery such as Excision of Brain tumors and Sweaty Palms Thoracoscopic surgery. Dr Raj also treats many patients with back and neck pain. He uses newer non-invasive treatment methods. He also manages patients with complex spine problems and tumors. (Link)  He pioneered the use of intra-operative spine neuronavigation(iCT) in Singapore General Hospital. Then, using this improved technique, he successfully performed the largest number of Thoracic Spine Pedicle Screw Instrumentation in the region, with results published in the British Journal of Neurosurgery.(Link)

Dr Rajendra has also managed a large number of patients with cranio-cervical junction disorders. He has performed many such operations using the iCT navigation facility, and has published the largest of such a series in Singapore in the Surgical Neurology International Journal 2013. Asides from performing complex spine surgery, he is active in teaching the next generation of spine surgeons, and has conducted numerous spine workshops and lectures in the UK, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. He was also invited to perform a live spine surgery demonstration in Hanoi, Vietnam(Hospital 108). Dr Raj has performed the most number of Cervical Disc Replacements in Singapore using the Activ-C implant(as of 2014), and also uses newer cervical treatment methods.[Link]

Dr Raj also performs minimally invasive spine intervention surgery including: Epidural spine steroid injections, Nerve blocks for back pain, and Radiofrequency(RF) treatment for prolapsed discs.

He was promoted to Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon in 2013, and also made the Director of Spine Surgery of the National Neuroscience Institute(NNI). During his tenureship, Dr Rajendra conducted numerous spine teaching courses with international attendees. He also was responsible for auditing and improving the standards of spine neurosurgery in NNI. Dr Raj is active in the AO Spine Education organisation. He is an East Asia Delegate and Faculty Lecturer.[Link]

The other subspecialty of Dr Rajendra is pediatric neurosurgery. As a senior consultant pediatric neurosurgeon in KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, he treated patients with head injury, hydrocephalus, brain tumors and spinal problems. His experience in minimally invasive neuro-endoscopic surgery has also been published in peer reviewed and online journals. [Link] 

Besides clinical practice, Dr Rajendra also teaches doctors on spine and neurosurgical techniques.