"Doing the right type of surgery bespoke for each individual patient in the most minimally invasive manner is my focus and always has been."
Consultant orthopaedic spinal surgeon, Odhrán Murray on his clinical practice at Blackrock Health Galway Clinic, cutting edge technologies and his past life working as a joiner.
Consultant orthopaedic spinal surgeon, Odhrán Murray says his process of surgical repair is ever-evolving yet continually focuses on the most important aspect- patient care. “Doing the right type of surgery bespoke for each individual patient in the most minimally invasive manner is my focus and always has been,” he says.
The most rewarding part of Odhrán’s job is achieving results through operations with an extremely high success rate. Speaking about this point in particular he says, “Watching patients who were previously in agony obtain a new lease of life, return to normal function, and integrate back into society, is an incredible motivating factor to keep going.”
Originally from Co. Antrim, Odhrán attended Glasgow University and graduated in 2004. Since February of this year, he is based solely in Galway Clinic but regularly lectures and teaches throughout Europe up to 10 times a year as he recognises the power of building relationships and collaborating with others.
Odhrán’s specialty is the spine focusing on a wide variety of spinal conditions including neck, thoracic and lower back problems encompassing degenerative issues, spinal narrowing, and disc herniation. He regularly treats patients with tumours of the spine as well as treating spinal trauma. He also sees patients with low energy vertebral fractures associated with osteoporosis and adult spinal scoliosis, among others.
Most of his surgeries are done by keyhole in conjunction with surgeon delivered epidurals or nerve blocks, which help achieve better control of postoperative pain, avoiding the side effects of morphine-based medication and contributing to faster rehabilitation. Commenting on the importance of rehabilitation, Odhrán notes, “an important part of the operative journey is prehabilitation – informing patients of what to expect before, during and after surgery and reassuring patients of the benefits of modern spinal surgery.”
In his previous life before and during medical school, Odhrán worked as a joiner and briefly ran his own carpentry business. This work funded medical school and he jokes it isn’t that far removed from orthopaedics, “there are more similarities than differences, would you believe. I deliberately stayed away from orthopaedics at the beginning of my career for this very reason.”
He greatly enjoyed surgery while at medical school but found a particular interest in orthopaedics as he saw patients could be helped in a succinct, logical, and timely fashion.
He says he is always learning- reading journals, attending meetings, lecturing, and learning about new technologies is a constant. He recently delivered a lecture to students and doctors at NUIG and previously at his alma mater in Glasgow University.
His general advice on spinal health is to stay active noting “it is hugely important to keep moving and maintain good bone health and muscle mass, all factors that will help hugely later in life or if fighting illness.”
Innovation is another key cornerstone of Odhrán’s work and he is delighted to see Galway Clinic invest in several key technologies which aid his work even further including specialist retractors, state-of-the-art operating tables and imaging systems.
Odhrán describes Galway Clinic as a united team from the nurses and surgery staff to the supporting and often behind the scenes teams who collectively deliver world-class clinical care and comfort, ultimately reflecting Blackrock Health’s promise of ‘better together’.