Who this is for.
Patients travelling from regional Queensland, interstate, or overseas for hip or knee replacement. The Sunshine Coast has three accredited private hospitals within a short distance of each other, and the practice regularly sees patients from the Wide Bay, western Queensland, northern New South Wales and further afield.
How it works.
- Send your imaging and referral. Email reception@scorthogroup.com.au with your referral and access to your imaging. For a knee this should include weight-bearing views and a skyline view; for a hip, a standing pelvis film.
- Telehealth consultation. Professor Rodda reviews the imaging with you and discusses whether surgery is appropriate. If it is not, you have not travelled for nothing.
- Written fee estimate. Covering surgeon, assistant, anaesthetist and hospital, before anything is booked.
- Travel and assessment. Pre-operative assessment and physical examination on arrival, usually a few days before surgery.
- Surgery and hospital stay. One to three nights for a primary hip or knee replacement.
- Reviews before you leave. Wound review at about two weeks, and a clinical review at six weeks if your stay allows.
- Handover home. Operation notes, imaging and a written rehabilitation protocol sent to your own practitioner and physiotherapist, with telehealth follow-up afterwards.
Plan for four to six weeks.
The single most common planning error is booking a return flight too early. Long-haul travel within six weeks of a joint replacement carries a meaningful risk of deep vein thrombosis, and the six-week review is the one that matters most for a knee. Build the timeline around the review, not the flight.
Practical points.
- The consulting rooms are at Maroochydore. See locations.
- Sunshine Coast Airport is at Marcoola, close to the Maroochydore rooms. Brisbane is approximately ninety minutes south by road.
- Overseas patients are self-funded unless covered by Australian private health insurance or a reciprocal health care agreement. See fees.
- Bring a companion if you can. Someone who can drive and help at home during the first two weeks makes a material difference.
What will not be offered.
If the assessment is that surgery is not appropriate, or that it can reasonably be deferred, you will be told that at the telehealth stage rather than after you have flown. Professor Rodda does not operate on shoulders, elbows, hands, feet, ankles or spines, and enquiries about those are redirected.
Common questions.
Can I have my first consultation before I travel?
Yes. A telehealth consultation with your imaging sent through beforehand is the normal first step for interstate and international patients. A physical examination is still required before surgery is planned, and that is arranged when you arrive.
How long do I need to stay in Australia?
For a hip or knee replacement, plan on approximately four to six weeks in total. That covers pre-operative assessment, the operation, the hospital stay, the wound review at about two weeks and a clinical review at six weeks. Flying long-haul before six weeks carries a clot risk.
What does it cost?
You will receive a written estimate covering the surgeon, assistant, anaesthetist and hospital before anything is booked. Overseas patients are self-funded unless they hold Australian private health insurance or are covered by a reciprocal arrangement, so the estimate is the full amount.
Will my own doctor at home be kept informed?
Yes. Operation notes, radiographs and a written rehabilitation protocol are sent to the practitioner who will look after you at home, and follow-up can be done by telehealth once you have returned.
Who does the rehabilitation?
A physiotherapist where you live, working to the written protocol provided. The protocol is procedure-specific and includes the milestones and the points at which to make contact if progress stalls.
This page provides general information about a medical condition and a surgical procedure. It is not individual medical advice and does not replace consultation with a qualified practitioner. Outcomes vary between individuals and all surgery carries risk. A referral is needed for a consultation with Professor Daevyd Rodda; without one, you can start with the practice nurse practitioner, who can provide it.