Consultant Orthopaedic and Spinal Surgeon
Email: r.
Telephone: 0203 947 0053 - option 3
- Spine Oncology
- Spinal Deformity and Spinal Injury
- Degenerative Spine Surgery
Spinal tumour management and surgery including primary malignant, secondary malignant and benign spinal tumours.
Spinal deformity in children and adults.
Acute spinal conditions including spinal trauma, disc prolapse and spinal sports injuries
Degenerative spinal conditions affecting the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine.
Minimally invasive and technology enables Spine Surgery
Multidisciplinary back pain management
Spinal Biomechanics and spinal implant manufacture
Psychology of spinal conditions and back pain management
Enabling technologies in spinal surgery
International surgical and medical education
Mr John Afolayan is a Consultant Orthopaedic and Spinal Surgeon. He has extensive training in orthopaedic and neurosurgical spinal surgery. His practice spans all aspects of spinal surgery with a particular interest in the surgical management of spinal tumours and complex spinal conditions. He is one of the spinal sarcoma surgeons of the London Sarcoma Service.
Mr Afolayan advises on non-operative and operative management and believes in empowering patients to make fully informed decisions. He has developed a practise using technology enabling tools and minimally invasive techniques where appropriate to increase surgical safety and expedite patient recovery. The RNOH Spinal Surgical Unit and Mr Afolayan actively promote recording patient outcomes and with continuing research interests are committed to the global improve of the care of patients with spine conditions.
Mr Afolayan is actively involved in teaching, mentoring and education. He is an honorary Lecturer and Academic Supervisor for undergraduate and postgraduate students. He is well published and has presented national and international in the fields of spinal surgery, spinal biomechanics, education, digital health, global health development.
A family and community centred man, Mr Afolayan has as strategic adviser to the London Mayoral Office and Greater London Authority, and is involved in numerous community engaging projects nationally and internationally. He is married with three young children. He is keen sportsman’s and particularly enjoys playing basketball, racket sports and keeping fit.
Mr Afolayan was born in Nigeria and went to school in South-East London. He qualified from Guys, Kings and St Thomas' Hospital School of Medicine in London and completed basic surgical training in London followed by specialist Trauma & Orthopaedic training in the Kent, Surrey and Sussex deanery. He undertook comprehensive postgraduate and fellowship training in orthopaedic and neurosurgical spinal surgery at the world renowned Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and at the Royal London Hospital.
Mr Afolayan obtained his Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in Trauma and Orthopaedics (FRCS Tr & Orth) in 2019 and was placed on the Specialist Register (CCT) in 2020. He was awarded the prestigious BOA Zimmer Biomet & Sori Lam Travelling Fellowship (2023) which has facilitated visitations to leading institutes in West Africa, Europe and the United States of America.
British Association of Spine Surgeons (BASS)
British Orthopaedic Association (BOA)
General Medical Council (GMC)
British Medical Association (BMA)
Medical Defence Union (MDU)
British Association of Black Surgeons
Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons
Associate of Kings College London
The Worship Society of Apothecaries, London
AO Spine
Fellowships:
Spinal Surgery
November 2019 – April 2021: Complex spine and fellowship training at The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, United Kingdom. This was comprehensive training in the full spectrum of spinal deformity surgery and neurosurgical spinal surgery predominantly under the supervision of Messrs Jan Lehovsky and Kia Rezajooi.
May – June 2021: Travelling Fellowships in West Africa.
- Management of extreme spinal deformity at the Foundation of Orthopaedic and Complex Spine (FOCOS) Hospital in Accra, Ghana under the supervision of Prof BoachieAdjei.
- Generality of spinal surgery at the National Orthopaedic Hospitals in Igbobi and Kano, Nigeria, hosted by Dr Mutaleeb Shobode
July 2021 – December 2023: Combined Orthopaedic and Neurosurgical Fellowship at The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, United Kingdom. Comprehensive training in spinal trauma, degenerative spine and spinal deformity in one of the busiest major trauma centres in Europe.
April 2023 - 2024: British Orthopaedic Association (BOA), Zimmer Biomet & Soli Lam Travelling Fellowship. Award of competitive full fellowship that is facilitating the visitation of prestigious spinal units across the world: Duke University Hospital Spinal Unit (Drs Brett Rocos, Rory Goodwin & Chris Shaffrey), Medstar Washington and Georgetown University Hospitals (Dr Mesfin Addisu), Johns Hopkins Hospital Spinal Unit (Dr Khaled Kebaish).
O’Callaghan J, Afolayan JO, Ochien D, Rocos B. Adult pyogenic and Tuberculous spondylodiscitis. A Review. Bone & Joint 360. April 2023.
Lambrechts MJ, Vaccaro AR; AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification International Members. Global Validation of the AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification: Geographic Region Affects Reliability and Reproducibility. Global Spine J. 2022 Aug. PMID: 36036763.
Lambrechts MJ, Vaccaro AR et al; AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification International Members. Effect of surgical experience and spine subspecialty on the reliability of the AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System. J Neurosurg Spine. 2022 Aug 19:1-11. SPINE 22454. PMID: 35986731.
Vaccaro AR, et al., AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification International Members. Global Validation of the AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2022 Jul 25. PMID: 35877555.
Mohammed R et al; BASS Collaborative Study Group. Restoration of elective spine surgery during the first wave of COVID-19: a UK-wide British Association of Spine Surgeons (BASS) prospective, multicentre, observational study. Bone Jt Open. 2021 Dec;2(12):1096-1101. PMID: 34939428; PMCID: PMC8711666.
Sobti AS, Busch CA, Afolayan J, Michael D, Chana R. Early to mid-term outcome of Oxinium on Verilast highly cross-linked polyethylene bearing surface in uncemented total hip arthroplasty. Hip Int. 2019 Jan 11. PMID: 30630363
Afolayan JO, Shafafy R, Maher M, Moon KH, Panchmatia JR. Assessment and management of adult spinal deformities. Br J Hosp Med (Lond). 2018 Feb 2;79(2):79-85. PMID: 29431498
Shafafy R, Suresh S, Afolayan JO, Vaccaro AR, Panchmatia JR. Blunt vertebral vascular injury in trauma patients: ATLS® recommendations and review of current evidence. J Spine Surg. 2017 Jun;3(2):217-225. Review. PMID: 28744503
Kieffer W, Shafafy R, Afolayan J, Ricketts D, Elsayed S. Minimally invasive posterior decompression combined with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation for the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures with neurological deficits - Letter to the Editor. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2017 Apr 15;42(8). PMID: 28157812
Shafafy R, Kieffer W, Afolayan J, Elsayed S. Cervical Disc Arthroplasty versus Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion for Incidence of Symptomatic Adjacent Segment Disease A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Randomized Controlled Trials- Letter to Editor. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2017 Mar;42(5). PMID: 28244971
Afolayan J.O, Dinneen A, Sakellariou A. Tarsal Coalition – What you need to Know. Orthopaedics and Trauma, 2016. Volume 30, Issue 1, Pages 30–40. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mporth.2016.02.004
Hammer C, Afolayan J, Trompeter A, Elliott D. A Novel Approach to Closed Reduction of Distal Femur Fractures. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 2014 Nov;96(8):626-8. PMID: 25350193
Afolayan J, Heward A, Olola C, Glucksman E, Gummet J. The Impact of a protocol based triage system on developing consistency between Emergency Medical Dispatchers. Annals of Emergency Dispatch and Response, Volume 1, Issue 2: September/October 2013.
Ieong E, Afolayan J, Little N, Solan M, Pearce C. The Incidence and Natural History of Forefoot Scar Pain Following Open Hallux Valgus Surgery. Foot Ankle Spec. 2013 Aug;6(4):271-5. PMID:23723334
Duxbury O, Hili S, Afolayan J. Using a proforma to improve standards of documentation of an orthopaedic post-take ward round. BMJ Qual Improv Rep. 2013 Apr 24;2(1). PMID: 26734180
Saini AK, Afolayan J. Sagittal computed tomography of the ankle. BMJ. 2013 Mar 13;346. PMID: 23485641
Ieong E, Afolayan J, Carne A, Solan M. Ultrasound scanning for recalcitrant plantar fasciopathy. Basis of a new classification. Skeletal Radiol. 2013 Mar;42(3):393-8. PMID: 22820618
Thong KY, Ryder RE, Cull ML, Walton C; ABCD Nationwide Exenatide and Liraglutide Audit Contributors. Insulin avoidance and treatment outcomes among patients with a professional driving licence starting glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists in the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists (ABCD) nationwide exenatide and liraglutide audits. Diabet Med. 2012 May;29(5):690-2. PMID: 21988449
Edmondson MC, Sherry KR, Afolayan J, Armitage AR, Skyrme AD. Case series of 17 modified Weil's osteotomies for Freiberg's and Köhler's II AVN, with AOFAS scoring pre- and post-operatively. European Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery 2011 Mar;17(1):19-24 PMID: 21276560
Anderson O, Afolayan J, Ni M, Bates T (2011) Surgical versus general practitioner assessment: diagnostic accuracy in two week wait colorectal cancer referral. MDLink.com - http://www.mdlinx.com/family-medicine/news-article.cfm/3532141/colorectal-neoplasms
Anderson O, Afolayan J, Ni M, Bates T (2011) Surgical versus general practitioner assessment: diagnostic accuracy in two week wait colorectal cancer referral. Colorectal Dis. 2011 Aug;13(8):e212-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1463-1318.2011.02617 . PMID: 21689308
Al-Daraji W, Afolayan J, Zelger B, Abdellaoui A, Zelger B. Modulation of NFAT-5, an outlying member of the NFAT family, in human keratinocytes and skin .American Journal of Translational Research 2009;1(2):184-202 PMID: 19956430
Manguyu W, Afolayan J, Manson E, Davies C (2008). Do Post-Operative recovery facilities affect day case surgery unplanned overnight admission rates? The Journal of One-Day Surgery 18; A18
International Presentations
Afolayan J.O, Our Health, Our Wealth – Invited presentation at the BOMA of Africa Event, Africa Integration Day, initiative of the AfCFTA Secretariat. July 2021
Afolayan J.O, Developments in Digital Health – Invited Keynote Lecture of Healthcare Session at the Africa Week 2021. Department of International Trade, UK. February 2021
Afolayan J.O, McCrory J, Crivelli, Pullin, Evans, Ahuja S. The Sound of Subsidence and Endplate Fracture – A Biomechanical Study of Intervertebral Fusion Devices using Acoustic Emission. British Association of Spine Surgeons Meeting. BASS 2019 (Podium)
Afolayan J.O, McCrory J, Crivelli, Pullin, Evans, Ahuja S. Bedding in of Intervertebral Fusion Cages versus Subsidence. Can Acoustic Emission help us? British Association of Spine Surgeons Meeting. BASS 2019 (Podium)
Afolayan J.O, McCrory J, Crivelli, Pullin, Evans, Ahuja S. Square Pegs and Round Holes – Do we fully understand endplate morphology. British Association of Spine Surgeons Meeting. BASS 2019 (Podium)
Developing guidelines for Adult Spinal Deformity. British Scoliosis Society Research Group. BritSpine 2018 (Podium)