Referrer Information for Melbourne Spine Studio
Dr Alvin Pun
Melbourne Spine Studio is led by Dr Alvin Pun, with a specialist spinal team dedicated to the assessment and management of spinal conditions across Victoria.
From first consultation, surgical treatment is not assumed. Each referral is reviewed within a framework that prioritises non-operative care wherever suitable, with surgery considered only when there is clear clinical indication and expected benefit.
Dr Alvin Pun
BMedSci, MBBS (Hons), FRACS (Ortho), FAOrthA
Dr Alvin Pun (MED0001186929) is an Australian and internationally trained orthopaedic spine surgeon.
He completed medical training at the University of Sydney (MBBS with Honours), then orthopaedic surgical training across NSW, and Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) and Australian Orthopaedic Association (FAOrthA).
Dr Pun undertook four additional years of advanced spine surgical training in world-renowned spinal centres in Melbourne, Milan, Beijing and London. He has been awarded the AOA & ASEAN Orthopaedic Association Travelling Fellowship and completed a NASA Aerospace Medical Clerkship in Houston.
Dr Pun contributes to clinical research, surgical outcomes data collection, teaching at Monash University and mentoring through the Australian Orthopaedic Association.
He is also bilingual, speaking English and Mandarin, to support more patients and their families during consultation and consent discussions.
What Referrers Can Expect
For GPs and specialists, our team supports decision-making in spinal presentations where diagnosis, imaging and symptoms may not clearly align, or where escalation is being considered.
Patients are assessed across a range of care options, not categorised immediately as surgical or non-surgical. Each referral is reviewed with attention to symptoms, imaging, and prior reports to determine diagnosis and relationship to the patient’s presentation.
Referring clinicians can expect:
- Specialist review of symptoms, imaging and reports to confirm diagnosis
- Assessment of condition progression after conservative management
- Patient guidance on further non-operative options where appropriate (medication, injections, observation)
- Written correspondence after each specialist review outlining the care plan
- Defined criteria for when surgical review becomes appropriate
- Post-operative updates where relevant
- Direct contact for time-sensitive or complex presentations
Spinal Conditions We Manage
Melbourne Spine Studio provides specialist spinal assessment and management across all regions of the spine, including cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacroiliac conditions.
Degenerative & Common Conditions (Collapsible section, closed by default)
- Back and neck pain
- Radiculopathy (nerve-related arm or leg pain)
- Spinal stenosis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Spondylolysis
Spinal Deformity (Collapsible section, closed by default)
- Scoliosis
- Kyphosis
- Adult spinal deformity
Inflammatory & Systemic (Collapsible section, closed by default)
- Ankylosing spondylitis
Trauma & Acute Conditions (Collapsible section, closed by default)
- Spinal fractures
- Spinal injuries
Complex & Less Common (Collapsible section, closed by default)
- Spinal tumours
- Complex spinal conditions
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
Clinical Assessment
Assessment begins with a detailed review of symptoms, neurological status, imaging and previous management of the condition, including:
- Source of pain and nerve involvement
- Impact on function and daily activity
- Imaging correlation (MRI, CT, X-ray if available)
- Response to prior non-operative management
Non-Surgical Spine Care
Many patients assessed do not proceed straight to surgery. Where appropriate, management may include:
Medication management
Anti-inflammatory medication may be recommended to reduce pain and improve mobility. In selected cases, stronger analgesia may be considered when first-line options are not sufficient. Medication decisions are made with consideration of overall medical history and existing GP-prescribed therapies.
Spinal injections
Image-guided corticosteroid injections may be used to reduce inflammation and nerve irritation. While not curative, these can help reduce symptom burden and improve function in selected presentations.
Rehabilitation and physical strategies
Targeted movement-based strategies may be recommended to support spinal load management, improve mobility and reduce symptom flare patterns. This is often guided in collaboration with external physiotherapy providers, depending on patient needs.
Lifestyle and functional modification
In some cases, symptom control improves with adjustments to load-bearing activity, posture and daily movement patterns. Weight management and low-impact exercise also form part of the plan where relevant.
Ongoing review
Patients may be reviewed over time to monitor symptom progression, response to treatment, and any change in neurological status that may shift management considerations.
Pain Management Coordination
Long-term analgesia remains under the care of the referring GP.
Dr Pun does not routinely commence or continue ongoing pain medication prescribing within his practice. This supports continuity within the patient’s established medical care and avoids duplication of prescribing responsibility.
Clinical correspondence is structured to assist with ongoing medication planning where needed.
When Surgery Becomes Part of Care
Surgery is considered only when structural pathology or neurological involvement suggests a higher likelihood of benefit from operative intervention.
For conditions such as spinal stenosis or nerve compression, decompression procedures are commonly used to relieve pressure on affected neural structures. This may involve removal of bone or ligament to increase space within the spinal canal.
In some cases, spinal fusion may be required where instability or deformity is present. Surgical planning is always based on the individual’s anatomy, symptom severity and prior treatment response.
Spinal Surgeries & Treatments
Surgical discussion is reserved for presentations where structural pathology, neurological change or persistent functional limitation suggests operative benefit. When surgery is clinically indicated, Melbourne Spine Studio provides a full range of spinal procedures.
Cervical Spine
|
Procedure |
Indication |
|
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) |
Nerve compression, degenerative disc disease |
|
Artificial cervical disc replacement |
Motion preservation in selected cases |
|
Laminoplasty |
Cervical stenosis with spinal cord compression |
Lumbar Spine
|
Procedure |
Indication |
|
Microdiscectomy |
Nerve compression from a disc herniation |
|
Spinal decompression |
Relief of stenosis-related symptoms |
|
Spinal fusion |
Instability or deformity |
|
TLIF / PLIF |
Fusion techniques for degenerative disease |
|
ALIF / OLIF / DLIF / ATP |
Anterior/lateral approaches for selected cases |
|
Revision lumbar surgery |
Recurrent or complex pathology |
Complex Spine & Deformity
|
Procedure |
Indication |
|
Spine osteotomy |
Severe deformity correction |
|
Adult spinal deformity surgery |
Multi-level alignment correction |
|
Revision reconstruction |
Complex redo surgery cases |
Other Procedures
|
Procedure |
Notes |
|
Sacroiliac joint fusion |
SI joint dysfunction |
|
Spinal tumour resection |
Primary or metastatic lesions |
|
Minimally invasive spine surgery |
Reduced tissue disruption techniques |
|
Steroid injection procedures |
Selected diagnostic or therapeutic use |
Referring Your Patients to Melbourne Spine Studio
Referrals can be submitted via a secure online form or direct clinical contact when discussion is required before referral submission.
Urgent appointments are available where clinically indicated.
Patients are accepted with or without private health insurance, including DVA, TAC and WorkCover.
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