Welcome to Star Orthopaedics.
First Consultation
Welcome to Star Orthopaedics
The team at Star Orthopaedics are Specialist Orthopaedic Surgeons and as such you must have a referral from another medical practitioner to receive Medicare rebates. This can be from your GP (general practitioner) or another doctor from a hospital or clinic.
Your Initial Consultation
Physiotherapists are yet to be able to refer directly to specialists, however, if your physiotherapist recommends surgical review or a second opinion, we would be happy to receive communication directly from the physiotherapist and work with you to facilitate a referral through your GP.
In Australia you are allowed to choose your specialist and so even if your referral does not name the surgeon you want to see, it is still a valid referral to be seen by the team at Star Orthopaedics.
If you do not have a referral our friendly reception staff would be more than happy to help guide you through this process.
Preparing for your first visit
Please bring with you a medical summary and list of medications and previous surgeries. Bring with you any hard copy imaging - or reports of previous investigations. Ideally wear clothing that will allow examination of your entire affected limb. This can be bike shorts, shorts or loose-fitting pants. Bring with you your Medicare card (or equivalent), private insurance details, or third-party compensation details. The friendly reception staff with greet you on arrival and there will be some administration paperwork to complete your registration.
During The Consultation
You can bring a family member, friend, support person into the consultation room with you.
There will be an opportunity to discuss your condition and how it is affecting you. After which a physical examination will be required which can extend from your foot, ankle, knee, hip and even your spine. Previous investigations will be reviewed. Occasionally further specialist investigations may be required and a return visit prior to formal diagnosis and discussion of management options.
During this process we utilise a computer transcription service which summarises the appointment and helps generate draft documentation. This allows the surgeon to focus on you and not be distracted by documentation and increases efficiency between patients.
Please notify reception staff if you do not want to have this software running during your consultation. This software is compliant with confidentiality and Australian Medical Standards. Further information on this software can be found here.
Next Steps
Occasionally further specialist investigations may be required. Or sometimes repeated imaging that is current or from different angles is necessary. This may be required prior to being able to give an informed discussion on the condition and treatment options.
Once all the necessary information is synthesised, Dr George will be able to discuss your diagnosis and offer the treatment options and risks or benefits of each option. These can include non-operative management options or various types of surgical options. This is a collaborative approach between you and our expert surgeons. We welcome questions and discussion to ensure you have the information to make an informed decision about your treatment choices.
Take the first step toward expert care
Get personalised guidance and support to:
- Discuss your symptoms and concerns with our team
- Learn about your treatment options
- Plan your personalised care pathway
