I want to help
Pain is both a sensation and experience, that can serve to tell us when something is wrong. It can start off as something useful, and then later over time lead to difficulties with rest, tasks, fitness, interpersonal relationships, leisure activities and socialising. Some will develop identity issues, adjust to different body image or adopt different roles in life, and resort to less than useful coping behaviours. What started off as a pain problem, can cascade into a milieu of suffering.
As an adult physician that has further specialised in both palliative (symptom relief) medicine and pain medicine, I understand that when there is no simple fix to the cause of pain, that being able to manage it to restore your quality of life is essential. Whether your issue is inoperable, or pain is a side effect of previous treatment, I will work to address your pain condition. I work with empathy and commitment to ease suffering, even when others may find it too tough.
I work with reputable clinicians at Inner West Pain Centre, and currently work privately in RPAH Medical Centre (Newtown) and Macquarie University Clinic. I also hold a number of appointments in major Sydney Hospitals, and I am Deputy Director of Concord Pain Clinic. Depending on your problem, I can guide you to any pain treatment available and tailor to your needs. You are unique, and with shared decision making your plan will bespoke, and evidence-empowered.
I have helped people understand their condition, regain their confidence, and change from being a survivor to a flourisher. This is even more important when one faces a progressive or chronic illness.
All expressions of identity, culture, sexuality, culture or religious beliefs are respected and welcomed in my practice.
By them the physician heals and takes away pain – Sirach 38:7 (NRSV)
About Dr. Kodsi
Specialist Palliative Medicine and Pain Medicine Physician
MBBS MMed FRACP FAChPM FFPMANZCA
Dr Kodsi is an Australian trained adult medicine physician, who has qualifications in palliative medicine and pain medicine. He is also supervisor of training of trainees in pain medicine, and regularly is involved in the teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate medical professionals.
Dr Kodsi is a board-certified Specialist in Pain Medicine and in Palliative Medicine and has fellowships with the Faculty of Pain Medicine ANZCA (FFPMANZCA), the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) and The Chapter of Palliative Medicine (FAChPM).
He has appointments in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (VMO) and Concord Repatriation General Hospital (Head of Department- A/G).
He also has privileges at Macquarie University Hospital, Sydney Adventist Hospital, Chris O Brien Lifehouse, Mater Hospital and North Shore Private Hospital.
Special Interests
- Musculoskeletal and Neuropathic pain
- Survivorship medicine
- Coordinating chronic and complex disease conditions
- Cancer pain
- Co-morbidity of pain with addiction
- He is involved in projects to improve health care utilisation and has interests in interventional pain treatments for cancer pain patients and survivors
- He has academic interest in the management of headaches and orofacial pain
Training
Dr Kodsi studied medicine at Bond University (Queensland) as an undergraduate. He completed his residency and specialist training at most of the major tertiary hospitals in Sydney: Westmead, Royal North Shore, Liverpool, St Vincent’s, Prince of Wales and St George. He has worked for and with many pioneers in pain and palliative medicine. He completed a Master of Medicine in Pain Management at Sydney University, in his scholarly pursuit to further his knowledge and expand the field of evidenced based pain medicine.
Pain is inevitable; Suffering is optional- Budhist proverb
Why Choose Dr. Kodsi
Trusted and Experienced
With years of expertise in pain and palliative medicine, Dr. Kodsi is dedicated to relieving your suffering and improving your quality of life.
Multidisciplinary Team
Dr. Kodsi collaborates with specialists in rehabilitation, psychiatry, psychology, and physical therapy, ensuring you receive holistic care tailored to your unique needs.
Dual
Trained
Dr Kodsi is trained in Adult Medicine, Palliative Medicine and Pain Medicine. He helps cancer survivors from cancer surgery, to end-of-life, with or without cancer.
Extensive
Network
With privileges in multiple Sydney hospitals, both public and private, Dr. Kodsi ensures seamless access to a vast network of healthcare resources.
Up-To-Date
Working with novel leaders in the field, Dr. Kodsi stays at the forefront of pain management research and practices, ensuring you benefit from the latest advancements in pain management.
Safety
Your well-being is Dr. Kodsi’s priority. He adheres to the highest safety standards, offering you peace of mind as you embark on your journey towards a life with less pain.
Transparency
Dr. Kodsi believes in open and honest communication with his patients. From diagnosis to treatment options, costs, and expected outcomes, he prioritises transparency every step of the way.
My Professional
Philosophical Statement
I believe that in practising Medicine, my job is to empower patients to manage their health by bridging my expertise and their strengths/vulnerabilities. To borrow from Hippocrates, “Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always” is fundamental to the practice of any branch of Medicine, much more so in Pain and Palliative Medicine.
Both pain medicine and palliative medicine share a thread in that they often or explicitly seek to assist those with no curative means to their illness. I believe that four factors separate these relatively young fields of medicine and characterise practitioners like myself:
1. Dedication to non-technical skills – Both in our training and beyond, there is a recognition that our relationship with parents has either a positive or negative effect on a patient’s health
2. Educating our colleagues – with the opioid crisis converging with the increase in chronic diseases and the ageing population with painful conditions, we need to avoid the past mistakes of offering simple solutions to complex problems
3. Rethinking suffering as a chronic illness – using the chronic disease model, we expect relapses, but teach patients to be their own health care managers
4. Investment in humanity – pain is a symptom of not just disease, but something we fear and share a resolve to console in our survivors
