Sunday 15 March 2015


Dr Joseph Azzopardi MD FRCA FFPMANZCA FFPMRCA
Consultant in Pain Medicine and Anaesthesia
Educational Supervisor in Pain Medicine
Guy's St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Azzopardi graduated from the University of Malta in 1993. He commenced training in Ireland and subsequently undertook higher specialist training in London at The Barts and The London School of Anaesthesia and other associated hospitals. He was a visiting fellow in Regional Anaesthesia in Sweden and in 2002 undertook a two-year fellowship in Pain Medicine in Australia. 

Dr Azzopardi is a Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists UK. He was awarded the Fellowship of the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists in 2004. He is a Foundation Fellow of the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Royal College of Anaesthetists since 2007.


In addition to his expertise in degenerative spine disease, which includes the management of back and neck pain, arm pain and sciatica; he has expertise in Cancer Pain Management and Symptom Control. His specialist interests include Interventional Pain Management, Advanced Radiofrequency Ablation Pain Therapies and Neuromodulation (Spinal Cord Stimulation and Neuro-axial Drug Delivery).


Dr Azzopardi also provides Medico-Legal specialist reports and accepts instructions for defendant and claimant personal injury work.  


Dr Azzopardi was appointed as Consultant in Pain Medicine and Anaesthesia in Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital in 2005. Since taking up his post he has been actively involved with the development of Multidisciplinary Integrated Cancer Pain Services at Guys and St.Thomas' Foundation Trust.

Dr Azzopardi has a keen interest in Medical Education and sits on the London Deanery Pain Training Advisory Group Committee. Until recently Dr Azzopardi was the Educational Supervisor for Advanced Pain Training in Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital.

His anaesthetic interests include Difficult Airway Anaesthesia, Regional Anaesthesia and Developing World Anaesthesia. 


He has been the lead anaesthetist on numerous charity missions in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with the NGOs Facing Africa and Project Harar.





Current Memberships of Professional, National and Regional bodies:

RCA Royal College of Anaesthetists


FPMRCA Faculty of Pain Medicine (Royal College of Anaesthetists)


FPMANZCA Faculty of Pain Medicine (Australian & New Zealand College of Anaesthetists)


BPS British Pain Society


IASP International Association for the Study of Pain 


WIP World Institute of Pain


INS  International Neuromodulation Society


NSUKI Neuromodulation Society of UK and Ireland


LPTAG London Deanery Pain Training Group


SESA South East School of Anaesthesia 


SAR Society of Anaesthetists in Radiology

Facing Africa


Project Harar





PAIN SERVICES


Comprehensive, holistic and individually tailored pain management is provided, embracing evidence-based medicine and incorporating the latest leading medical and interventional modalities. 


Dr Azzopardi collaborates closely with a multidisciplinary team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and psychologists to achieve the best possible outcomes for his patients. 




SPECIAL INTERESTS

  • Pharmacological management of complex chronic pain disorders
  • Functional restoration and rehabilitation addressing the bio-psycho-social dimensions of chronic pain
  • Musculoskeletal pain disorders: Cervical, Thoracic, and Lumbar spine
  • Back pain including sciatica
  • Discogenic Pain
  • Neck pain including whiplash injury
  • Myo-fascial pain disorders - Fibromyalgia
  • Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
  • Coccygodynia
  • Visceral pain
  • Chronic Pancreatitis
  • Pain in the Elderly
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (RSD)
  • Neuropathic pain
  • Chronic radiculopathy
  • Post-herpetic neuralgia
  • Diabetic neuropathy
  • Post stroke pain
  • Post Surgical Pain Syndromes
  • Ischaemic Pain
  • Refractory Angina
  • Headache
  • Migrane
  • Oro-facial Pain
  • Trigeminal Neuralgia
  • Pelvic Pain
  • Urogenital Pain

INTERVENTIONAL PAIN MEDICINE

  • Trigger point injections
  • Facet joint / Medial Branch Diagnostic blocks: Cervical, Thoracic and Lumbar
  • Facet joint Radio-Frequency Denervation: Cervical, Thoracic and Lumbar
  • Sacroiliac joint denervation
  • Nerve Root and Dorsal Root Ganglion blocks and Pulsed RadioFrequency
  • Botox therapy for Migrane 
  • Autonomic nerve blockade, Pulsed Radiofrequency and Neuromodulation
o Stellate Ganglion
o Coeliac plexus
o Lumbar sympathetic chain
o Ganglion Impar

  • Pulsed RF to peripheral nerves
  • Nerve blocks: 
    • Ultrasound Guided Regional Anaesthesia, 
    • Continuous catheter techniques
  • Intravenous regional blocks
  • Scar/neuroma injections
  • Minimally Invasive Disc procedures
o Provocative discography
Diskit
o Nucleoplasty
Cooled RF Biacuoplasty

  • Epidural injections: Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar, Caudal
  • Epidural adhesiolysis (Racz)
  • Spinal Augmentation
o Vertebroplasty
o Kyphoplasty

  • Neuromodulation
o TENS
o PENS
o Peripheral Nerve Stimulation
o Subcutaneous Nerve Field Stimulation
o Spinal Cord Stimulation

  • Implantation of drug delivery systems for Neuroaxial (intrathecal and epidural) therapy

CANCER PAIN MANAGEMENT and SYMPTOM CONTROL

Dr Azzopardi has extensive experience in the management of cancer pain. He runs a dedicated Cancer Pain Service at the LOC - 95 Harley Street, the Oncology Unit at the Harley Street Clinic and at the London Clinic, Oncology Centre. He also attends to in-patients at the Hospice of St John and St Elizabeth.

He has specialist expertise in Interventional Pain Management Strategies, Neuroablative therapies and Neuroaxial Drug Delivery. He is also proficient in Percutaneous Cervical Cordotomy for the management of mesothelioma pain.


Cancer Pain Management Treatments



  • Comprehensive Medical Management
  • Neurolytic ablation procedures
    • Coeliac plexus
    • Lumbar plexus
    • Superior Hypogastric plexus
    • Ganglion Impar
  • Intrathecal neurolysis
  • Nerve blocks:
    • Ultrasound guided Regional Anaesthesia
    • Continuous catheter techniques
  • Implantation of analgesic drug delivery systems
    • Percutaneous Systems 
    • Fully implanted devices
  • Cancer Survivor Pain Management and Symptom Control


ANAESTHESIA SERVICES

General anaesthesia for all the major sub specialities

General surgery, Vascular, Plastics, Ophthalmic,
Gynaecology and Obstetrics

Orthopaedics and Trauma, Neurosurgery

Thoracic surgery

Ear, Nose and Throat, Maxillofacial and Dental surgery


ANAESTHESIA SPECIAL INTERESTS:

§ Difficult Airway Management

§ Anaesthesia for Spine Surgery

§ Regional Anaesthesia

§ Advanced Vascular Access

o Implantation of Percutaneous Central Venous lines for renal replacement therapy and TPN
o Implanted Porta-Cath Systems for chemotherapy




NHS Appointments


The St Thomas' Pain Management and Neuromodulation Centre


St Thomas' Input Pain Management Program


St. Thomas' Hospital
Westminster Bridge Road
London
SE17 7EH
UK
t +44 (0) 207 188 4718  
NHS St Thomas' Secretary - Ms Jo Enang 
e:   josephine.enang@gstt.nhs.uk

t +44 (0) 207 188 0644 
NHS Guy's Secretary - Ms Barbara Bolton 
e:  barbara.bolton@gstt.nhs.uk

f +44 (0) 207188 4719 / 0642
e: joseph.azzopardi@gstt.nhs.uk


Dr Azzopardi also holds Honorary Consultant Post at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth and the Mater Dei Hospital, Malta


Queen Alexandra Hospital
Southwick Hill Road
Cosham
PO6 3LY
UK

Mater Dei University Hospital
Pain Clinic
Triq Dun Karm, L-Imsida 
Malta




PRIVATE HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS


London Bridge Hospital
St. Olav’s House
27-29 Tooley Street
London SE1 2PR
UK

t:     +44 (0) 207 407 3100  Main Switchboard

t:  +44 (0) 207 234 2107  
       
LBH Appoinments Booking Team - Ms Julia Bethel     julia.bethel@hcahealthcare.co.uk

e:   gpliaisonlbh@hcahealthcare.co.uk 
  
t:    +44 (0) 207 234 2009


31 Old Broad Street - Pain Clinic


31 Old Broad Street 

London 
EC2N 1HT
UK

t:     +44 (0) 207 234 2107   


LBH Appoinments Booking Team - Ms Julia Bethel   e:    julia.bethel@hcahealthcare.co.uk



95 Harley Street
London
W1G 6AF
UK

t:     +44 (0) 207 317 2500  Main Switchboard

t:     +44 (0) 207 317 2660  

f:     +44 (0) 207 009 4262

       Private Secretary - Francesca Stewart       e:     fstewart@theloc.com



St. John and St. Elizabeth Hospital
60 Grove End Road
London NW8 9NH
UK

t:     +44 (0) 207 806 4060 Appointments Bookings Team

e:  info@hje.org.uk GP Liaison


The Wellington Hospital Pain Unit

Wellington Place
St John's Wood
London NW8 9LE
UK

The Platinum Medical Centre

15-17 Lodge Road
London
NW8 7JA
UK

t:     +44 (0) 203 468 5395    +44 (0) 2036 275 235      


f:     +44 (0) 207 483 5618

e:    Wellington.enquiryhelpline@hcahealthcare.co.uk




The Highgate Hospital

17-19 View Road
Highgate
N6 4DJ
UK

t:     +44 (0)  208 347 3899      Appointments Bookings Team


The Lister Hospital  
Chelsea Bridge Road
London SW1W 8RH
UK 

t:     +44 (0) 207 730 8298
t:  +44 (0) 207 881 4000  

Lister GP Liason - Appointments Bookings Team


t:  +44 (0) 07912021115 GP Liason Team


St James Hospital Pain Clinic

George Borg Olivier St 
Sliema 
SLM 1807 
Malta

t:  +356 2329 1000  
f:  +356 2133 0226

e:  info@stjameshospital.com


Dr Azzopardi has admitting privileges at:


The London Bridge Hospital

31 Old Broad Street - Diagnostic Centre

LOC - Leaders in Oncology - 95 Harley Street

Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth

Harley Street Clinic

The London Clinic - Cancer Centre

The Lister Hospital

Wellington Hospital

Highgate Hospital

Princess Grace Hospital

London Independent Hospital

Blackheath Hospital


St James Hospital, Malta





LPS LONDON PAIN SOLUTIONS



www.londonpainsolutions.com              www.londoncancerpainclinic.com