Episode 146. Into the Brain and Beyond with Neurosurgeon Rondhir Jithoo

Block 6
Written By Andrew Ford

Neurosurgeon Rondhir Jithoo has led an extraordinary life, growing up in South Africa with a medical father and deeply thinking anthropologist mother. He obtained his medical degree from the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine at the University of Natal and trained in neurosurgery at South Africa’s Wentworth Hospital where he received the Registrars Prize from the South African Society of Neurosurgeons and obtained his neurosurgery fellowship in 2000. 

After relocating to Australia, he was awarded the Australasian Fellowship in Neurosurgery in 2004 and worked at Royal Melbourne Hospital where he developed an interest in spinal trauma, anterior spinal surgery and cranial surgery. This interest in cranial surgery took him to Frances’ famous neurosurgical epicentre in Montpellier to further his study and skills in the art of awake craniotomy. 

At Montpellier Rondhir was able to develop skills reflecting the modern connectionist approach to neurosurgery which has revolutionised treatment of brain tumours. The traditional concept proposed by Paul Broca, and still taught, is that the brain is organised into different areas controlling specific functions. This localisation theory has now been disproven, and work with contributions from Montpellier has shown that the brain is organised in dynamic interactive networks capable of constantly readapting.

This connectionist approach explains why some patients can lead a perfectly normal life despite having a large tumour affecting an area of the brain previously considered crucial for brain function. The brain is able to compensate for lesions and its incredible plasticity allows it to reorganise itself to continue functioning normally. In awake craniotomy, providing lesions have not caused disability, tumours may be safely removed in real time using cortical mapping. By keeping the patient awake to verbal commands the impact of surgical resection can be carefully assessed and damage minimised.

After returning to Australia with this skill Rondhir served with the Australian armed forces in Iraq, assessing and providing acute neurosurgical assistance for battlefield traumas and is now intrinsically involved in contributing his skill and expertise to establishing and independent neurosurgical service in Darwin where he travels at repeat intervals throughout the year.

He is a head and clinic consultant of Neurosurgery at Alfred Health in Melbourne and is a member of the Victorian Audit of Surgical Mortality Committee as well as a postgraduate examiner for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

I found Ron to be deeply philosophical and spiritual in his approach to the art of medicine and I’m sure you will enjoy this conversation with him.

References :

Mr Rondhir Jithoo: ⁠www.healthshare⁠.com.au 

www.alfredhealth.org.au

Andrew Ford
Marketing expert Andrew Ford, the founder of Social Star, has discovered the secret of ‘Powerful Branding’. With a fire for unleashing people’s inner brand and developing business models to generate profit from an individual’s passions, Andrew leverages ground-breaking digital and social media marketing techniques to create digital strategies for clients to attract maximum opportunities. Having established a strong name for himself in the field, Andrew blends traditional business techniques with now-necessary tools for entrepreneurs to achieve scale, quality, and influence in their niche. Andrew’s comprehensive business background and qualifications consist of a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) (RMIT 2003), a Graduate Certificate in Management (MBA Executive Program, University of Sydney 2005), and a Masters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Swinburne University 2011). Continually on the cutting edge of his own education, Andrew has tested his marketing theories in forums such as the BCG Business Strategy Competition, which he won in 2005 against all Victorian MBA schools, and the Venture Cup Business Plan Competition (Swinburne University 2003), which he won in the Masters category. With experience working at Hewlett-Packard, Sensis (Telstra) and IBM, Andrew also has mentored dozens of junior staffs to help them achieve their professional goals. Meeting and influencing high-profile public figures helped Andrew to realise just how many professionals require more understanding and control of their public brands or appearance, and need help with the skills to use the many amazing free tools at their disposal to generate success. At Social Star, Andrew consults with clients to uncover their personal brand – both where it is today and where it can be tomorrow – and refine and define how that should be displayed in social media in order to attract their perfect target audience. Andrew mentors his clients to rapidly grow their business’ audiences, resulting in larger potential client bases and higher revenue. Applying formulas that integrate over twenty years of Andrew’s business experience and fifteen years of formal business education, Social Star specialises in building clarity and velocity for clients’ brands using the ‘Understand, Build and Leverage’ methodology. ‘Having a Personal Business enables people to have an authentic, congruent connection with their valued clients and partners, using their brand as the bridge,’ says Andrew. ‘I’m highly driven to work with the new breed of entrepreneurs and small business owners – people who have a passion for making the world a better place. Traditional business models are stepping aside as people follow their innermost dreams and my role is to see them operate within their values while creating wealth. Some people think you have to sacrifice what you love to be successful in your business, yet it is actually the opposite. Follow your passion and success will come.’ Lecturing at Swinburne University from 2009 to 2011 on brand dynamics and digital marketing, presenting at numerous conferences, and consulting to hundreds of clients, Andrew has seen his philosophy work that if you follow your unique path, based on your skills, experience, values and goals, you will automatically attract the opportunities you desire and achieve the success you deserve. Living his mantra, Andrew has created a successful business and attracts high-profile clients including musicians, athletes, authors, models, entrepreneurs, professionals and small business owners, helping them find their ‘why’ in their business and fulfilment in their lives. Business for Andrew is more than work, it’s personal. Running a personal business means that he is able to fulfil all of his values rather than separating his life from work. It supports his two boys while providing social opportunities, educational development, fitness opportunities, spiritual fulfilment and many valuable friendships. Social Star has now become the vehicle for Andrew to crystallise his mission in the world, to help people love what they do, supporting his ‘why’, that if more people loved what they did, the world would be a better place.
http://www.andrewford.com.au/
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