For Patients

You may be referred to an orthopaedic surgeon by your GP, physiotherapist, another specialist or another healthcare professional.

Before your appointment, it can be helpful to gather:

• Previous X-rays, CT scans or MRI scans
• Relevant medical reports or letters
• A list of your current medications
• Information about previous operations
• Details of any allergies
• Your Medicare and private health insurance information, where relevant

Your GP or referring doctor may provide imaging or test results with your referral. If these are not available, our rooms can advise you about what is required before your appointment.

If you are unsure whether an orthopaedic consultation is appropriate, please contact our rooms.

Your first appointment is an opportunity to understand your problem and discuss how it is affecting you.

Your surgeon will ask about your symptoms, medical history, previous treatments and your goals. You will usually have a physical examination and your existing imaging will be reviewed.

Further X-rays, scans or other investigations may be recommended if they are needed to clarify the diagnosis or assist with treatment planning.

Treatment options will then be discussed. These may include non-operative treatment such as physiotherapy, activity modification, medication or injections, as well as surgical options where appropriate.

Surgery is not always the best or most appropriate treatment. The decision to proceed is made after considering your symptoms, examination, imaging, general health and individual goals.

Sometimes more than one appointment is required before a treatment decision is made.

A subsequent appointment may be arranged to:

• Review additional imaging or test results
• Assess your progress with non-operative treatment
• Discuss surgical and non-surgical options in more detail
• Answer questions about a proposed procedure
• Confirm whether surgery is appropriate
• Begin planning for surgery if you decide to proceed

You are encouraged to bring a list of questions to your appointments. There is no need to make a decision about surgery until you understand the proposed treatment and alternatives.

If surgery is recommended and you decide to proceed, there are several steps involved in preparing for your operation.

Depending on the procedure, this may include:

• Reviewing your medical history and medications
• Pre-operative medical assessment
• Blood tests or other investigations
• Anaesthetic assessment
• Additional imaging or surgical planning
• Discussing the expected hospital stay and rehabilitation
• Planning for equipment or assistance at home
• Providing information about medications before and after surgery
• Discussing the expected recovery process

For some procedures, patient-specific planning, computer navigation or robotic technology may be used. If these technologies are relevant to your operation, they will be discussed with you during the planning process.

Your surgical team will also provide information about preparing for the day of surgery, including when to stop eating and drinking and which medications should or should not be taken.

On the day of surgery, you will be admitted to hospital and prepared for your procedure.

You will meet members of the hospital team, including your anaesthetist and nursing staff. Your surgeon will review the planned procedure with you and answer any final questions.

The operation will then be performed using the agreed surgical approach.

The length of surgery varies depending on the procedure and your individual circumstances. After surgery, you will be taken to the recovery area where you will be monitored as you wake from the anaesthetic.