Dr Ameya Kamat: Why Your Neurosurgeon Wants to Avoid Operating on You
By Dr Ameya Kamat, Neurosurgeon | Australian Specialist Hub
When most people walk into a neurosurgery clinic, they expect to leave with a surgery date. What they don’t expect is a doctor who opens with: “Let’s see if we can avoid the operating table altogether.”
That’s exactly the approach Dr Ameya Kamat takes with every patient he sees.
“My philosophy is simple. The best operation is often the one we never have to perform.”
Dr Kamat is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and one of Australia’s leading brain and spine surgeons, consulting across Victoria and the Northern Territory. With over a decade of clinical experience and more than 1,000 independent medical assessments completed, he has seen — and treated — nearly every presentation of spinal and neurological injury imaginable.
And his first question is almost never “when do we operate?”
Non-operative first. Always.
For many patients presenting with back pain, spinal conditions, or peripheral nerve issues, surgery is not the only path forward. Lifestyle modification, targeted physiotherapy, weight management, and careful monitoring can achieve outcomes that surgery simply cannot replicate — particularly when it comes to long-term recovery and quality of life.
“Surgery carries real risks. So the burden of proof should always be on why we’re operating, not why we’re not. If a patient can get the same result — or a better one — through non-operative treatment, that’s where we start.”
This doesn’t mean avoiding surgery when it’s truly needed. Dr Kamat performs complex spinal, cranial, and robotic-assisted procedures regularly, and is known for applying cutting-edge techniques when the clinical picture demands it. The point is that every option gets a fair hearing first.
What this means for patients
If you’ve been referred to a neurosurgeon and are worried about what comes next, the conversation may be simpler — and more collaborative — than you expect. A good neurosurgical assessment isn’t just about deciding whether to operate. It’s about understanding your condition fully, exploring every option, and making a decision that’s right for your life, not just your scan.
Dr Ameya Kamat is available for neurosurgical consultations and independent medical assessments through Australian Specialist Hub — connecting patients, legal professionals, and insurers with Australia’s leading specialist experts.
