The first consultation is booked for 30 min. This includes a history taking and examination of the affected area of the body. If necessary you may need to be sent for an X-ray. This sometimes takes a while if the Radiology Department is busy. Please bring any X-rays and investigations (e.g. Blood tests) that you feel are appropriate to your condition, as this can save time, however you may need to be sent for an X-ray even if you bring old X-rays with you.
EFT’s payments for consultation are not accepted. Consultation fees should be settled at the rooms in full on the day of the consultation. You are welcome to make payment by cash, VISA and MasterCard.
We charge medical aid rates. However, there are procedures where the medical aid may not pay in full. In that case, you will need to make the additional payment yourself. Also, note that the initial consultation may only be covered in part by your medical aid but follow-up consults and all in-hospital consults/surgery are usually covered by your medical aid in full.
You may need rehabilitation either before or after a surgical procedure. Additional support team includes highly skilled medical specialists, experienced nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other well-trained professionals. We work with a number of therapists in the area. We are happy to refer you to a therapist that is closer to your work/home if necessary.
This is dependent on your procedure. In general, most procedures are performed as day cases and you can go home the same day. More complex procedures e.g. Total Knee (Hip) Replacement will require you to stay in the hospital for 2-3 days while you get other services to adequately prepare you for the home environment.
Your general health plays an important role here. For example, if you are an older person undergoing a total knee replacement and have co-existing medical conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes, then you may need to spend one or more days in the intensive care unit after the operation so that we can monitor your condition more closely. For most arthroscopic procedures, however, and especially if you have good general health, you will not need admission to high care.
This also depends on the procedure and the type of work you do. For small uncomplicated cases, you can get back to work the next day. Complicated cases, such as Total Knee (Hip) Replacement it can take up to a week before you go to work. If you work with your hands or in a dirty environment then you should wait until the wounds have healed. In general, it is recommended that you rest for 2-3 days before going back to work.
It is our primary aim that you are as pain-free as possible after surgery. We want you to be comfortable and improve your recovery and rehabilitation. You may receive a nerve block as part of the procedure which will numb the operative area. Your anaesthetist and I will also prescribe the necessary medication you need for optimum pain control, both in-hospital and for when you go home.