Patients travel here from a long way.
Professor Daevyd Rodda sees patients from across the Sunshine Coast, and regularly from further afield: Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Gympie, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Mackay, Brisbane and the Northern Territory, as well as interstate and overseas. Travelling for a joint replacement raises a set of questions that a local patient never has to ask, and this page answers them.
If you are coming from outside Australia, the international patients page covers visas, timing and payment.
Plan on fewer trips than you expect.
The usual shape for someone travelling in:
- First consultation. Often by telehealth, where the diagnosis is reasonably clear and you have current imaging. This is the appointment that decides whether an operation is even the right answer, and it is worth not driving six hours to have it.
- In-person assessment. An examination is required before surgery is booked. This can usually be combined with the pre-admission visit so it is one trip rather than two.
- The admission. See the day of surgery.
- Review at about six weeks. After that, follow-up can frequently be shared with a practitioner closer to home.
Your rehabilitation happens at home.
This is the part people most often get wrong when they assume travelling is impractical. Rehabilitation is done with a physiotherapist near you, not here. Written, procedure-specific protocols are sent to your physiotherapist so they are working to the same plan and the same milestones, which are published openly on the physiotherapist page.
What matters is that the plan is shared, not that the people are in the same building. See recovery and rehabilitation for what the first twelve weeks involve.
Do not book your trip home too early.
Length of stay is decided by your recovery rather than by a schedule, and air travel too soon after a joint replacement carries a real risk. Discuss your travel plans before you book anything, and expect to be in the area for the discharge and the days immediately after it.
Referrals and costs.
A referral from a GP or nurse practitioner anywhere in Australia is accepted, and your own GP is the better choice because they hold your history and they manage you afterwards. Queensland Health's Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme assists some patients travelling for specialist treatment; your GP is the right person to ask about eligibility, and the rooms will supply whatever documentation is needed.
Fees and the written estimate process are set out on the fees page, and health fund cover on no-gap cover.
Frequently asked questions.
Can the first appointment be by telehealth?
Often, yes. A first consultation by telehealth works well where the diagnosis is reasonably clear and current imaging is available, and it saves a long trip to be told you need imaging. An examination in person is still needed before an operation is booked, and that can usually be combined with the pre-admission visit.
How many trips will I actually have to make?
For most people travelling from outside the Sunshine Coast it is two before surgery, one of which can often be telehealth, then the admission itself, then a review at about six weeks. Follow-up after that can frequently be shared with a practitioner closer to home.
Where do I do my rehabilitation?
At home, with a physiotherapist near you. Written procedure-specific protocols are sent to your physiotherapist so they are working to the same plan, and the clinical milestones are published on the physiotherapist page. You do not need to stay on the Sunshine Coast to rehabilitate.
How long should I stay after the operation?
Plan on being in the area for the discharge and the first days afterwards, and do not book travel before you have discussed it. Length of stay is decided by your recovery, not by a schedule, and flying too early after a joint replacement carries its own risk.
Do I need a referral from a GP in my own town?
Not to get started: you can begin with a telehealth consultation with our nurse practitioner, who can provide the referral. A referral from your own GP is still the better option where you can get one, because they know your history and they are the one managing you afterwards, and a referral is needed to claim the Medicare rebate. A referral from a GP or nurse practitioner anywhere in Australia is accepted.
What about the cost of getting there?
Queensland Health's Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme assists some patients travelling for specialist treatment, and eligibility depends on your circumstances and the treatment. Your own GP is the right person to ask about it, and the rooms can supply whatever documentation is needed.
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.