Mr Prasad Karpe is a Consultant Spinal Surgeon with a special interest in degenerative spine, back pain, and paediatric and adult spinal deformity. He has a background in orthopaedic and trauma surgery of over 21 years, including dedicated experience in spinal surgery for over 9 years. He is currently the paediatric surgical lead for South Tees NHS Trust.
After completing medical school at Goa Medical College in India, he undertook post-graduate training in Orthopaedics at the prestigious tertiary referral centre at Goa University. This culminated in a Master of Surgery in Orthopaedics. He then underwent spinal fellowships at Sancheti Institute in Pune and The Spine Clinic in Mumbai, India, which rendered specialised services in complex spinal surgery.
On completing the membership exam (MRCS) from The Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, he moved to the United Kingdom. He underwent further training in Spinal Surgery at the University Hospital of North Tees, where he trained in a range of degenerative procedures, including spinal fusions and disc replacements.
He then undertook a structured higher surgical training programme in Trauma and Orthopaedics from one of the best deaneries in the country (North East Deanery). He passed the fellowship exam in Trauma and Orthopaedics (FRCS Tr & Orth) from The Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh.
He then undertook a dedicated one-year Paediatric Spinal fellowship at the world-renowned Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, a quaternary referral centre for complex spinal conditions worldwide. There, he worked closely with leading spinal surgeons like Mr Stewart Tucker, Mr Thomas Ember, and Mr Mark Harris.
Mr Karpe works as a full-time Spinal Consultant in the NHS. He has a unique work structure where his job is split between the major trauma centre at James Cook University Hospital and the University Hospital of North Tees, Stockton-on-Tees. At James Cook, he manages complex spinal conditions like deformities, major trauma, tumours, infections, and spinal emergencies. In his job at the University Hospital of North Tees, he deals with degenerative spinal conditions, including pain management.
He is passionate about teaching and training to empower the next generation of surgeons; he regularly participates in national and international Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons exam courses. He has numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals and published book chapters for spines in FRCS and surgery textbooks. Mr Karpe is an active member of the British Association of Spinal Surgeons, the British Scoliosis Society and AO Spine.
He believes in a patient-centric approach and shared decision-making. He commits to the best patient care and experience for all his patients and has a genuine concern for their well-being, taking time to understand their concerns, fears, and goals.
Additional specialties and sub-specialties
Trauma and orthopaedic surgery – Spine
Additional languages
Hindi • Marathi
Special clinical interests
In private setup
- Back pain and sciatica
- Neck pain and radiculopathy
- Simple and complex degenerative disorders
- Spinal injections
- Vertebroplasty (used to relieve pain from compression fractures in the spine)
- Balloon kyphoplasty (a minimally invasive procedure to treat vertebral compression fractures)
- Cervical and lumbar fusions
- Spinal deformities
- Minimally invasive spinal surgery
- Revision spinal surgery
- Spinal trauma
In NHS setup
- Complex spinal surgeries and paediatric surgeries including paediatric deformity