Slipped disc & sciatica
A lumbar disc can irritate a nerve, causing pain down the leg. Assessment helps distinguish nerve pain from other causes.
Read the patient guideDr. Yee Sze-Voon · Consultant Neurosurgeon
Brain & Spine Care at KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital
Clear diagnosis and personalised treatment, with a focus on endoscopic spine surgery.
For non-emergency appointments only. Our clinic team will reply to confirm availability.
Consultant Neurosurgeon · MS Neurosurgery (USM) · Fellowship in Endoscopic Spine Surgery, Seoul · Fellowship in Pain Management, India · NSR 138842 · MMC Registered
Urgent symptoms / when to go to Emergency
Dr. Yee Sze-Voon · Consultant Neurosurgeon
Clinic location & hours
Dr Yee Sze-Voon Consultant Neurosurgeon
- Clinic
- Suite G-15A, Ground Floor
KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital
No. 119, Jalan SS 20/10, Damansara Utama,
47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor - Hours
- Monday: 8.30am – 1pm
Tue–Fri: 8.30am – 5.30pm
Saturday: 8.30am – 12.30pm
Sunday & public holidays: closed - Monday 1–5pm
- Columbia Asia Hospital Seremban
292 & Lot PT1904, Jalan Haruan 2, Oakland Commercial Centre, 70300 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
WhatsApp clinic team · Directions
WhatsApp is for general enquiries only, not for emergencies. For emergency symptoms, attend the nearest Emergency Department immediately. Urgent symptoms
Consultant NeurosurgeonMS Neurosurgery, USM
MMC / NSR RegisteredNSR 138842
Brain & Spine PracticeKPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital
LanguagesEnglish · Bahasa Melayu · Mandarin · Cantonese
Patient guides
Understand your condition
Start with your symptoms or scan findings. Explore the assessment and treatment options relevant to you.
Lumbar spinal stenosis
Narrowing around the nerves may cause leg pain or difficulty walking. Treatment depends on your symptoms and examination.
Read the patient guide
Neck pain & arm symptoms
Neck-related nerve compression may cause arm pain or numbness. Hand clumsiness or walking changes need timely assessment.
Read the patient guide
Brain conditions & MRI findings
A scan finding needs clinical context. Learn about brain tumours, symptoms and the role of specialist review.
Read the patient guide
Cervical myelopathy
Pressure on the spinal cord in the neck can affect hand function and walking. Needs timely assessment.
Read the patient guide
Vertebral compression fracture
A weakened vertebra may crack or collapse, often causing sudden back pain.
Read the patient guideTreatments
Treatment options, explained
The right treatment starts with a diagnosis. Non-operative care, monitoring and surgery are considered according to your symptoms, examination, imaging and goals.
Endoscopic spine surgery
A camera and instruments through a small access route can remove selected disc material or decompress a nerve. Suitability depends on the level, anatomy and type of compression; not every condition can be treated this way.
Read the patient guide
Microscopic decompression / discectomy
Using magnification, the surgeon removes selected tissue pressing on a nerve. This may suit cases requiring a different approach; the extent of surgery and recovery vary.
Read the patient guide
Pain injections
Selected injections may help manage pain or clarify a pain source. Relief may be temporary, and injections do not correct every structural problem or progressive neurological deficit.
Read the patient guide
Spinal fusion, when indicated
Fusion stabilises selected spinal segments when the assessment identifies a need for stability. It is not routine for every slipped disc; risks, alternatives and recovery require individual discussion.
Read the patient guide
Radiofrequency treatment
Heat from a fine probe can quiet a small pain-carrying nerve in selected patients.
Read the patient guide
Image-guided surgical planning
Scans help plan surgery and guide the surgical team.
Read the patient guideStock-style educational images, simplified for discussion with your clinician. They do not show an individual patient or guarantee an outcome. Suitability of any treatment is decided only after assessment.
About
Dr. Yee Sze-Voon
"Not everyone who sees a neurosurgeon needs an operation. In many cases, the most important thing I can offer is not a procedure — it is clarity. Understanding what is happening in your brain or spine, why it is happening, and what your options genuinely are. That conversation changes how patients make decisions, and it changes outcomes. Surgery is one of the tools available to me. When it is indicated, the goal is precision. It is not the starting point."
Dr. Yee Sze-Voon is a Consultant Neurosurgeon based at KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital, with subspecialty training in endoscopic and minimally invasive spine surgery, brain surgery, and pain management. He underwent further endoscopic spine surgery training in Seoul, South Korea under experienced endoscopic spine surgeons, with emphasis on careful case selection, imaging correlation, and minimally invasive technique where clinically appropriate.
His practice covers both brain and spine conditions on equal footing. Whether a patient presents with a new brain MRI finding, a seizure, persistent headache, back pain, or progressive neurological symptoms — the approach is the same: accurate diagnosis first, then an honest discussion of options. Where surgery is indicated, the aim is precise and appropriate intervention.
Dr. Yee consults in English, Bahasa Melayu, Mandarin, and Cantonese.
KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital, Petaling Jaya
English
Bahasa Melayu
Mandarin
Cantonese
Appointment routes
Choose your appointment route
Choose a non-emergency appointment route; the clinic team will confirm availability.
MRI & clinical context
An MRI finding does not always mean surgery
Your MRI is considered alongside your symptoms and examination. Some findings need monitoring rather than surgery.
Start with your concern
What are you concerned about?
Whether your concern involves the brain, spine, or both — use this section to find the right assessment pathway.
Brain & Cranial
Brain conditions & symptoms
- Persistent or unusual headache
- First-ever seizure or blackout
- Memory or cognitive change
- Facial pain — trigeminal neuralgia
- Visual disturbance of neurological origin
- Brain tumour — incidental or symptomatic
- Brain haemorrhage or bleed concern
- Hydrocephalus
- Abnormal brain MRI or CT finding
Spine & Nerve
Spine conditions & symptoms
- Back pain / sciatica / leg radiation
- Neck pain / arm pain / radiculopathy
- Numbness or weakness in limbs
- Walking difficulty or myelopathy
- Cervical cord compression
- Spine fracture or trauma
- Persistent symptoms after prior spine surgery
- Spine MRI or CT — second opinion
Safety first
Symptoms that should not be ignored
The following symptoms may indicate a time-sensitive neurological condition. They require urgent medical assessment — not routine appointment booking.
Stroke-like / Brain vascular
- Sudden weakness of one arm or leg
- Sudden facial drooping on one side
- Sudden slurred speech or difficulty finding words
- Sudden severe headache — the worst ever experienced
- Sudden loss of vision or double vision
- Sudden dizziness, loss of balance, unable to walk
Raised intracranial pressure
- Headache unlike any experienced before
- Headache progressively worsening over days or weeks
- Headache with vomiting, visual changes, or drowsiness
- Unexplained change in personality, memory, or behaviour
Spinal cord & nerve emergency
- New or rapidly worsening limb weakness
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Numbness around the groin or saddle area
- Both legs weak, heavy, or numb simultaneously
- Difficulty walking, frequent falls, or progressive imbalance
- First-ever seizure
For any of the above, attend the nearest Emergency Department immediately. This website and social media channels are not monitored for emergencies.
Scope of practice
Conditions assessed
Brain & cranial
- Brain tumours — primary and metastatic
- Meningioma
- Brain haemorrhage (ICH, SDH, SAH)
- Hydrocephalus
- Trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain
- Pituitary region tumours
- Abnormal brain MRI or CT findings
Spine & nerve
- Lumbar disc prolapse and sciatica
- Cervical disc herniation and radiculopathy
- Spinal stenosis — lumbar and cervical
- Cervical myelopathy
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spine fractures and trauma
- Persistent symptoms after prior spine surgery
Procedures & approaches
- Endoscopic spine surgery — where clinically appropriate
- Minimally invasive spine surgery
- Microscopic decompression and discectomy
- Spinal fusion — where indicated
- Cranial neurosurgery
- Pain procedures — where clinically appropriate
Specialist assessment
Reasons to seek a neurosurgical opinion
Seek specialist review when symptoms persist, affect daily function, or your scan needs clinical interpretation.
| Clinical situation | Recommended action |
|---|---|
| Brain tumour or abnormal brain MRI / CT finding | Arrange neurosurgical assessment to understand the diagnosis, risk, and treatment options. |
| New seizure or blackout | Earlier specialist assessment is recommended. Emergency care is required if repeated, prolonged, or associated with injury, confusion, or weakness. |
| Headache with vomiting, drowsiness, visual change, or neurological deficit | Emergency assessment is required. Attend the nearest Emergency Department. |
| Brain haemorrhage, suspected stroke, or sudden severe headache | Emergency assessment is required. Attend the nearest Emergency Department. |
| Persistent arm or leg nerve pain despite treatment | Specialist review and imaging correlation is appropriate. |
| Progressive limb weakness, gait difficulty, or imbalance | Earlier specialist assessment is recommended. |
| Symptoms of spinal cord compression or myelopathy | Prompt specialist assessment is recommended. |
| Bladder or bowel change, or saddle area numbness | Emergency assessment is required. Attend the nearest Emergency Department. |
Brain tumour or abnormal brain MRI / CT finding
Arrange neurosurgical assessment to understand the diagnosis, risk, and treatment options.
New seizure or blackout
Earlier specialist assessment is recommended. Emergency care required if repeated, prolonged, or with injury, confusion, or weakness.
Headache with vomiting, drowsiness, visual change, or neurological deficit
Emergency assessment required. Attend the nearest Emergency Department.
Brain haemorrhage, suspected stroke, or sudden severe headache
Emergency assessment required. Attend the nearest Emergency Department.
Persistent arm or leg nerve pain despite treatment
Specialist review and imaging correlation is appropriate.
Progressive limb weakness, gait difficulty, or imbalance
Earlier specialist assessment is recommended.
Symptoms of spinal cord compression or myelopathy
Prompt specialist assessment is recommended.
Bladder or bowel change, or saddle area numbness
Emergency assessment required. Attend the nearest Emergency Department.
This table provides general information only and does not replace clinical consultation, examination, and imaging review.
Consultation pathway
What to expect during consultation
Consultation is not just a scan review. It includes symptom history, neurological examination, imaging correlation, diagnosis, a discussion of options, and a clear plan.
1. Symptom history
Duration, character, progression, prior treatment, and functional impact on daily life — assessed in detail before anything else.
2. Neurological examination
Strength, sensation, reflexes, coordination, and walking pattern — examined in relation to the presenting symptoms.
3. Imaging review
MRI, CT, or X-ray findings reviewed together with clinical history and examination — not in isolation.
4. Diagnosis and options
A clear explanation of the diagnosis, the available treatment options, and the clinical reasoning behind each one.
5. Clear next step
Whether observation, further investigation, or treatment — the next action is explained with expected timeline and rationale.
What to bring
Previous MRI or CT films and reports, referral letters if available, current medication list, and prior operation notes if relevant.
FAQ
FAQ
Brain
I was told I have a brain tumour — what should I do?
This is understandably distressing news. The first step is a specialist assessment to understand the type of lesion, how it is behaving, and what the options are. Not all brain tumours require immediate surgery — many are managed with close observation without intervention. A neurosurgical consultation will give you clarity on what is appropriate for your specific situation.
My MRI showed an abnormality — does that mean I need surgery?
Not necessarily. Many MRI findings — including small tumours, cysts, or incidental lesions — are managed with observation and serial imaging rather than surgery. The decision depends on the nature of the finding, your symptoms, and your neurological examination. Imaging findings must always be interpreted alongside the full clinical picture.
What is the difference between a neurosurgeon and a neurologist?
A neurologist diagnoses and manages neurological conditions medically. A neurosurgeon is trained to both assess neurological conditions and perform surgery when clinically indicated. Some conditions are best managed medically, some surgically, and many require input from both. If surgery has been raised as a possibility by a neurologist, a neurosurgical opinion can clarify whether it is needed and what the options are.
Spine
Will I definitely need surgery after seeing a neurosurgeon?
No. Many patients are seen in clinic and managed without surgery — through conservative measures, physiotherapy, injections, or continued monitoring. Surgery is considered only when it is clinically indicated based on diagnosis, severity, and response to other treatment.
What is endoscopic spine surgery?
Endoscopic spine surgery is a minimally invasive approach that uses small incisions and a camera system to access and treat spinal pathology. It is associated with reduced soft tissue disruption and, in appropriate cases, faster recovery compared with open surgery. Not all spine conditions are suitable for an endoscopic approach — suitability depends on the specific diagnosis and anatomy.
Can I come just to review my MRI or CT?
Yes. Imaging should always be interpreted alongside clinical history and neurological examination. A scan report alone may not explain what is causing your symptoms, or whether your symptoms are related to what the scan shows. A consultation provides that clinical correlation.
Appointment & Imaging
What should I bring for consultation?
Previous MRI or CT films and reports, any X-rays, referral or specialist letters, current medication list, and prior operation notes if you have had previous spine or brain surgery. Bringing actual imaging films rather than reports alone allows a much more detailed review.
Urgent symptoms
What symptoms require emergency care instead of a routine appointment?
Sudden weakness, facial drooping, slurred speech, first seizure, severe sudden headache, confusion, drowsiness, loss of bladder or bowel control, saddle numbness, or rapidly worsening limb weakness should be assessed urgently at the nearest Emergency Department. Do not wait for a routine appointment.
Useful next steps
Bring scan images and reports, your medication list and any referral letter. See what to expect, clinic details, or request an appointment.
Booking
Request a neurosurgical appointment
Request a non-emergency appointment through WhatsApp or the form. The clinic team will confirm availability.
For urgent neurological symptoms, attend the nearest Emergency Department. This form is not monitored for emergencies.
For elderly patients or family members
If you prefer not to fill the form, you may WhatsApp our clinic team. A family member may also help send the appointment request on behalf of the patient.
Copy WhatsApp number: +60188711928
WhatsApp Clinic Team For urgent neurological symptoms, please attend the nearest Emergency Department.