Dr Vicknes Waran, Professor
VICKNES WARAN FRCS (SURGICAL NEUROLOGY)
Neurosurgeon, Surgical Trainer, Inventor, Technopreneur
Current Position
Professor- Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya
Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon- University of Malaya Medical Centre
Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon- University of Malaya Specialist Centre
(Subspecialized interest in Base of Skull, Pituitary and Minimally Invasive Neurosurgical Endoscopy Surgery)
Head of the Department of Surgery & Chairman of Council of Surgeons, Faculty of Medicine UM
Director- Centre of Biomedical and Technology Integration UM
Academic Qualifications
MB;BS (MALAYA) Distinction Aug. 1990 University of Malaya (Gold Medalist)
FRCS Edin. Oct. 1994 Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
FRCS (Neurosurgery) April 1999 Inter-Collegiate Board of Neurosurgery UK
Surgical areas of expertise
General Cranial and Intraspinal tumours- Adults
General Degenerative Spine Disease
Neurotrauma- Cranial
Base of Skull & Pituitary Surgery- sub-speciality expertise
Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Neurosurgery- sub-speciality expertise
Employment record in University of Malaya:
Date appointed as Associate Professor & Consultant: 2nd February 2001
Date appointed as Professor & Senior Consultant: 1st January 2007
Past employment:
Aug 1991-October 1994 Medical Officer Ministry of Health Malaysia
Nov 1994-April 1996 Registrar of Neurosurgery, Hospital Kuala Lumpur
April 1996-July 1999 Senior Registrar, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, University of Cambridge NHS Trust
July 1999-Jan 2001 Neurosurgeon, Hospital Kuala Lumpur
Committee Position
University of Malaya Health Care Working Group- Chairman
Neurosurgical Association of Malaysia (NAM)- Founding Member and Exco Member
Neurosurgery Specialist Registry- Member
Areas of research
Based on my training and experience as a general neurosurgeon with subspecialized interest in Base of Skull and pituitary surgery, much of my research has been concentrated on making surgery in neurosurgery simpler and safer for both patients and surgeons. This has led to the invention and development of tools and devices for both general neurosurgery, base of skull surgery and minimally invasive neurosurgical endoscopy.
These tools and devices have been made with collaboration with local industry and has been marketed both locally and internationally.
As a trainer of neurosurgeons and with special interest in emerging technology, I have also work closely with the Centre of Biomedical and Technology Integration developing surgical simulators for the training of Neurosurgeons, Base of Skull and ENT surgeons and Spine Surgeons using 3D printers. The development of these simulators have been innovative and are presently being used to train neurosurgeons around the Asia Pacific Region.
As a general neurosurgeon I have been involved in the development of communication software and hardware for the transmission of medical imaging and data for both emergency and elective consultation. This has led to the development of MEDCOM that has been dubbed the Next Generation Telemedicine.
All the above work has resulted in various scientific publications, prestigious presentations internationally and medals.
Publications of Note
V Waran, S Yamada, Takada
Growth hormone secreting adenoma with a Rathkes cleft cyst, Journal of Clinical Neurosciences Oct 1997; 4(4) 502-505
Hutchinson PJ, Waran V, Hutchinson E, Laing RJ
Assessing outcome in lumbar disc surgery using patient controlled measures, British Journal of Neurosurgery June 2000;14(3) 195-9
V Waran, DK Menon
Multimodality monitoring and the diagnosis of traumatic caroticocavernous fistula following head injury, British Journal of Neurosurgery 2000 Oct, 14(5); 469-71
Ganesan D, Puthucheary, Waran V
Meliodosis presenting as spinal epidural abscess, British Journal of Neurosurgery 2003; 17(6) 568-71
Muthusamy KA, Azmi K, Narayanan P, Rajagopalan R, Raman NA, Waran V
Bilateral Temporal Bone Xanthoma- a case report, Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 2008 Feb; 108(2): 361-4
Waran V, Selladurai BM, Bahuri NF, George GJ, Lim GP, Khine M
Teleconferencing using multi media messaging service (MMS)for long range consultation of patients with neurosurgical problems in an acute situation, Journal of Trauma 2008 Feb; 64(2): 362-5
Waran V, Vairavan N, Sia SF, Abdullah B.
A new expandable cannula system for endoscopic evacuation of intraparenchymal hemorrhages,
Journal of Neurosurgery 2009 May
Sheaufung S, Taufiq A, Nawawi O, Naicker MS, Waran V.
Neurenteric cyst of the cervicothoracic junction: A rare cause of paraparesis in a paediatric patient, Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 2009 Apr;16(4):579-81. Epub 2009 Feb 6.
Philip R, Prepageran N, Raman R, Jennifer LP, Waran V, Surgical management of large acoustic neuromas: a review, Med J Malaysia. 2009 Dec;64(4):294-7.
Philip R, Prepageran N, Raman R, Waran V.
Cerebrospinal fluid otorrhoea from an abnormal communication between the internal auditory meatus and the medial wall of the tympanic cavity, Med J Malaysia. 2009 Sep;64(3):248-9.
Waran V, Bahuri NF, Narayanan V, Ganesan D, Kadir KA.
Video clip transfer of radiological images using a mobile telephone in emergency neurosurgical consultations (3G Multi-Media Messaging Service), Br J Neurosurg. 2012 Apr;26(2):199-201. doi: 10.3109/02688697.2011.605482.
Waran V, Sek K, Bahuri NF, Narayanan P, Chandran H.
A haemostatic agent delivery system for endoscopic neurosurgical procedures,Minim Invasive Neurosurg. 2011 Oct;54(5-6):279-81. doi: 10.1055/s-0031-1297997.
Waran V, Devaraj P, Hari Chandran T, Muthusamy KA, Rathinam AK, Balakrishnan YK.Tung TS, Raman R, Rahman ZA
Three-dimensional anatomical accuracy of cranial models created by rapid prototyping techniques validated using a neuronavigation station, J Clin Neurosci. 2012 Apr;19(4):574-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2011.07.031.
Waran V, Menon R, Pancharatnam D, Rathinam AK, Balakrishnan YK, Tung TS, Raman R, Prepageran N, Chandran H, Rahman ZA.
The creation and verification of cranial models using three-dimensional rapid prototyping technology in field of transnasal sphenoid endoscopy, Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2012 Sep-Oct;26(5):e132-6. doi: 10.2500/ajra.2012.26.3808.
Waran V, Pancharatnam D, Thambinayagam HC, Raman R, Rathinam AK, Balakrishnan YK, Tung TS, Rahman ZA.
The Utilization of Cranial Models Created Using Rapid Prototyping Techniques in the Development of Models for Navigation Training, J Neurol Surg A Cent Eur Neurosurg. 2013 Jan
Neurosurgical Endoscopic Training via a Realistic 3-Dimensional Model With Pathology.
V Waran, IP Tang, R Karuppiah, KA Abd Kadir, H Chandran
A new modified speculum guided single nostril technique for endoscopic transnasal transsphenoidal surgery: an analysis of nasal complications, British Journal of Neurosurgery 2013 27 (6), 742-746
V Waran, V Narayanan, R Karuppiah, HC Thambynayagam
A minimally invasive endoscopic transnasal approach to the craniovertebral junction in the paediatric population Simulation in healthcare: journal of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare
SH Tan, D Ganesan, N Prepageran, V Waran
Neuronavigation with the universal probe to access intracranial targets, European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology 271 (11), 3101-3105
V Waran, H Chandran, P Devaraj, K Ravindran, AK Rathinam
Neuronavigation with the universal probe to access intracranial targets, Journal of neurological surgery. Part A, Central European neurosurgery 75
V Narayanan, P Narayanan, R Rajagopalan, R Karuppiah, ZAA Rahman
Endoscopic skull base training using 3D printed models with pre-existing pathology, European Intrasellar pituitary mucocele: Diagnostic dilemma
IP Tang, CK Chai, G Kumar, N Prepageran, V Waran
Injecting realism in surgical training—initial simulation experience with custom 3D models, British Journal of Neurosurgery 28 (3), 390-392
V Waran, V Narayanan, R Karuppiah, D Pancharatnam, H Chandran
Injecting realism in surgical training—initial simulation experience with custom 3D models, Journal of Surgical Education 71 (2), 193-197
V Waran, V Narayanan, R Karuppiah, SLF Owen, T Aziz
Utility of multimaterial 3D printers in creating models with pathological entities to enhance the training experience of neurosurgeons: Technical note, Journal of neurosurgery 120 (2), 489-492
V Waran, D Pancharatnam, HC Thambinayagam, R Raman, AK Rathinam
The utilization of cranial models created using rapid prototyping techniques in the development of models for navigation training, Journal of neurological surgery. Part A, Central European neurosurgery 75