About T&O Spine

I specialise in treating spinal conditions.

I base every treatment around the unique needs of each patient and I will take the time to answer any questions you have.

Profile

Mr Sundaram was appointed as a Consultant Trauma, Orthopaedic and Spine Surgeon in Gloucestershire in 2010 and has received world class extensive training and experience. He graduated from the University of Leeds Medical School and trained in the Liverpool Region, Nottingham and Exeter.

He is the Spinal Lead for Gloucestershire Hospitals and works very closely with his 25 Consultant Orthopaedic colleagues as well as the neurology and oncology specialists in the NHS and private sector. He also maintains a close relationship with the General Practitioners throughout Gloucestershire and the neighbouring counties as well as other healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths, and knows how working with a team best helps patients’ recovery.

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    Experience
    Mr Sundaram has more than 20 years of experience in spinal disorders. His practice consists of both emergency and elective spine conditions. The majority of the emergency work is for metastatic tumours, spinal fractures, spinal infections, cauda equina syndrome and progressive cord compression. The elective work is mainly for sciatica, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, scoliosis, cervical radiculopathy and myelopathy. Details of his practice data are also available on the national PHIN website https://www.phin.org.uk.  He is recognised by all health insurance providers.

    Mr Sundaram undertakes more than 3000 patient consultations per year, making him the most experienced spine surgeon in Gloucestershire as his NHS and private practice exposes him to the vast array of both elective and emergency spine pathology.

    In 2015 Mr Sundaram was appointed as the Spine Lead in Gloucestershire NHS Foundation Trust. Since then, following the new guidelines there have been many positive steps forwards within the service development, such as:

    • A reduction in the variation in spinal surgery
    • Lowered length of stay post-operatively
    • Reduced spinal implant costs, saving £400,000 year on year since 2015 for the NHS Trust
    • A reduction in re-operation rates
    • A reduction in unnecessary spinal injections

     
    These achievements have led him to receive three Clinical Excellence Awards, as well as being shortlisted for the People’s Choice Award and Team of the Year Award which he was delighted to be involved in.

    Quality Assurance
    From November 2016, there has been a significant national change in the management of spinal disorders led by the Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) project, NICE and the British Association of Spine Surgeon (BASS). This has led to better management of patients and the reduction of spinal procedures which have limited clinical benefits. This is not rationing by the NHS or by private insurance companies, but has been implemented to reduce ineffective procedures and improve the quality of the interventions we are delivering to further improve patient care. Mr Sundaram keeps up to date with the latest evidence and follows the National Spinal GIRFT guidelines in providing best care for patients. He is renowned surgeon with a low complication rate and excellent interventional outcomes. His outcome data is registered with the British Spinal Registry and shows excellent outcomes in the top 2.5% of surgeons nationally.

    Mr Sundaram has received numerous testimonials from patients which are posted on his website here. Patients can also write reviews on the website ‘I want great care’ for any Consultant. He is thankful for the number of positive reviews on https://www.iwantgreatcare.org/doctors/mr-rathnam-sundaram, and also on the Vitality Doctify website https://vitality.doctify.co.uk/specialist/mr_rathnam_sundaram_1?hospitalList=27

    Mr Sundaram has also been awarded the ‘Certificate of Excellence’ from ‘i want great care’ in 2021 and 2022 for providing excellent care to his patients.

    Mr Sundaram is affiliated with Top Doctors https://www.topdoctors.co.uk/doctor/rath-sundaram and is honoured to have practicing privileges in the two large NHS hospitals in Gloucestershire and the peripheral hospitals in Cirencester and Tetbury. Due to the excellent care he delivers to his patients, since 2011 his practicing privileges have been renewed year on year by the two main private hospital, Nuffield Cheltenham and Winfield Gloucester, and also at the Cobalt Imaging centre at Linton House in Cheltenham. Therefore he is able to keep his patients’ care local to Gloucestershire.

    A Consultant for All Patients
    As Mr Sundaram has both an NHS and Private Practice, he is able to see all patients regardless of their financial situation. Patients who see him privately who’s insurance policy or funding has expired, or self-pay patients can easily transfer to the NHS under his care without a problem. He has developed an excellent reputation over the years amongst his colleagues and patients and is determined to give the best quality of care to them.

    Health and Fitness
    Mr Sundaram is a keen sportsman and knows the importance of keeping fit and leading a healthy lifestyle, to enable good quality meaningful life in the latter years. He regularly engages in about 8-10 hours of physical activity per week which includes running, cycling, gym work, stretching, Pilates, and tennis. He is very proud of his best 10K time of 46:28 mins! He is very keen and competitive tennis player and in 2021 his best National LTA tennis ranking was 32 in the over 35’s age group and 28 in the over 40’s. In 2021 he was crowned Gloucestershire Men’s over 35 county tennis champion. He also achieved his lifetime ambition of obtaining an ITF world tennis ranking for his age group. As a doctor, he fully understands the importance of staying in good health.

Practice

I specialise in most aspects of orthopedic spinal surgery in my private and NHS practices.

My private consultations and interventional procedures take place at the Winfield Gloucester and Cheltenham Nuffield private hospitals. I also offer a one-stop. all-inclusive consultancy and imaging clinic at the Cobalt Centre, Linton House in Cheltenham.

  • Teaching and support

    As part of my NHS practice, I teach medical students from the University of Bristol who attend my fracture clinics and elective clinics on a regular basis. I also supervise senior house officers on the wards to help manage patients admitted to the hospital, as well as giving educational support.

    In addition, I supervise and train a specialist registrar from the Severn Deanery in spinal disorders in preparation for the FRCS (Tr&Orth) exit examination.

    I am a fully qualified Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) instructor. I enjoy teaching the ATLS philosophy and I teach annually on the ATLS course here at Cheltenham. This allows me to pass my skills on to junior doctors to enable them to manage major trauma patients in the initial stages of being admitted to the hospital.

  • Research

    I have done a considerable amount of research and have over 50 papers, abstracts and national and international presentations in various orthopedic specialties. I have written a book chapter in The ABC of Spinal Disorders and I am an invited reviewer for the journal Acta Orthopaedica.

  • Medicolegal

    I undertake medicolegal work – further details can be obtained from my secretary, Cheryl Prestidge, who is based at the Nuffield Hospital, Cheltenham.

     

  • Philosophy

    My philosophy is to base my management around the unique individual needs of the patient. I undertake medicolegal work – further details can be obtained from my secretary, Cheryl Prestidge, who is based at the Nuffield Hospital, Cheltenham.

     

Dear Mr Sundaram, thank you for your excellent diagnosis and treatment for all that has happened to me.

I saw a patient today, who said that you were ‘just wonderful, so helpful’ , she felt properly listened to, and although she’s still in pain she feels you have really helped and she has great confidence in you. It’s not often patients volunteer such things spontaneously, so I thought you’d like to know.

Dear Mr Sundaram. I felt I had to write to thank you and your colleagues for all the care and support which I was given during the time I was with your care….

Dear Mr Sundaram. I feel I have to write to thank you very much indeed for giving me back my life after feeling wretched for so long. Days and nights are now a total joy.

Winfield Private Clinic

Winfield Hospital in Gloucester is one of the leading private hospitals in the area, offering a wide range of healthcare treatments including spinal surgery.

Winfield Hospital
Tewkesbury Road
Longford
Gloucester
Gloucestershire
GL2 9EE

Nuffield Private Clinic

Nuffield Health Cheltenham Hospital is conveniently situated on the outskirts of town. It offers the latest facilities and technology, including state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment.

Nuffield Private Clinic
Cheltenham Hospital
Hatherley Lane
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL51 6SY

Cobalt Centre – One Stop Clinic

The Cobalt Centre offers cutting-edge technology and one-stop clinics which allow patients to have a consultation, imaging, diagnosis and a treatment plan all in one visit, usually within just a few hours.

Cobalt Centre
Linton House
Thirlestaine Road
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL53 7AS

Tetbury Private Clinic

Tetbury Hospital Trust Ltd
Malmesbury Road
Tetbury
Gloucestershire
GL8 8XB

Gloucester NHS hospital

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital offers a wide range of general hospital services.

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
Great Western Road
Gloucester
Gloucestershire
GL1 3NN

Cheltenham NHS Hospital

Cheltenham General Hospital offers a wide range of general hospital services.

Cheltenham General Hospital
Sandford Road
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL53 7AN