Dr Shah Islam, Radiology Registrar, and Dr Declan Johnson, Consultant Neuroradiologist, at St George’s Hospital were awarded the Cornelius G Dyke Memorial Award by the American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) for their work on a pioneering new treatment for back pain.

They developed an image guided, minimally invasive procedure to treat synovial cysts of the lumbar spine, a frequent cause of debilitating back pain.

The award, presented to them at the ASNR conference in Vancouver earlier this month, is considered one of the highest honours in the field of neuroradiology.

Commenting on their win, Dr Islam and Dr Johnson said: “Traditionally, synovial cysts were treated by complex spinal surgery, which can cause long term spinal instability. We developed a novel procedure to disrupt the cyst, therefore relieving the patient of pain and preventing the need for surgery.

“We are extremely humbled to be in receipt of the Cornelius G Dyke Memorial Award. As Interventional Neuroradiologists, our duty is to continue to pioneer novel treatments, and this reaffirms our department as a world class provider of endovascular and spinal procedures.”

Congratulations to both Dr Islam and Dr Johnson!