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You need to report to the hospital admission office with your Medicare card, insurance details and any x-ray films that you possess. Hand all these documents to the person in charge there who will then process your papers – this might take a few minutes. Once they have finished doing so, they will show you where your bed is located.
Once admitted, Professor Al Muderis will come and see you – this may be as you’re admitted, on the ward, in the pre-op room or holding bay. You will be asked a series of routine questions designed to ensure the information we have regarding you, your condition and the surgery we’re there to perform is correct. This is all part of our established protocol to ensure your surgery is a success.
These questions will include:
Once all the questions have been answered we will identify the area to be operated on with a permanent marker and use an arrow and an initial as an indicator.
Once you have arrived at the hospital, a nurse will greet you and guide you to your assigned bed. The nurse may then proceed to ask further questions and measure your vitals such as temperature and blood pressure. They’ll also help you change into your hospital gown should you require assistance.
To ensure you’re well prepared for your operation, your anaesthetist may come by to ask further questions and carry out an examination. Afterwards, you will be given time to rest until it’s time to be taken into the operating theatre – though please understand that occasionally waiting times can vary due to external factors like the difficulty of previous procedures. Your patience and understanding are appreciated.
Once the theatre is ready, a theatre team member will take you on a gurney to the entrance. An accompanying family member is permitted to be with you until the theatre door, however only staff are allowed past this point unless the patient is under 18 and requires an adult parent’s accompaniment.
Depending on the hospital you’re being treated at, you’ll either be directed to the pre-op unit or the theatre holding bay. There, a staff member will greet you and ask a few extra questions related to the information already given. Additionally, they’ll double-check your surgical site and consent form for accuracy; this precautionary measure may seem like a double-up, but it is essential for a successful outcome, so please bear with us!
During such surgery, patients undergo a series of steps. Firstly, anaesthesia is administered to ensure that patients are comfortable and free from pain during the operation. Then, a surgical incision is made at the targeted area, followed by gaining access to and visualising the affected structures, often aided by a camera.
The core of the procedure involves correcting or repairing the problem, which can vary greatly depending on the specific issue, such as joint replacement or fracture repair. After this, the incision is closed, and the patient is closely monitored as they wake up from anaesthesia in a recovery area.
Patients who have orthopedic surgery often feel better right after the procedure compared to how they felt before. But it’s essential to know that this doesn’t mean they are completely healed. The body needs time to adjust and recover after surgery.
It’s also important to understand that patients with fractures or other injuries have a different healing process. It may take them several weeks or even months to feel completely better. So, recognising how each patient heals differently after surgery is crucial for providing the best care.
In order for recovery to go as smoothly as possible we recommend beginning mobilisation as soon as practicable. On the day after surgery, a hospital physiotherapist will come by and help you out of bed, starting your journey back to mobility. On the same day, any drainage tubes may be removed with guidance from the nurses.
Once you feel comfortable and confident enough to use the toilet the nursing staff will remove the urinary catheter if you have one. This usually occurs in the first or second day following surgery.
For further inquiries or to arrange a consultation, please contact Professor Al Muderis’ office at +61 2 88829011 or book an appointment online.
X-ray facilities at all locations | Urgent appointments available if necessary.
Professor Munjed Al Muderis is an orthopaedic surgeon and a clinical professor at Macquarie University and The Australian School Of Advanced Medicine. He specialises in hip, knee, trauma and osseointegration surgery. He is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and Chairman of the Osseointegration Group of Australia.