Introduction

You will be booked into either a public or private hospital depending on your health cover. Booking into a public hospital involves a waiting list and does not guarantee surgery by Mr Unni. Any further inquiries into this need to be made through the public admission department.
The following steps occur for private admission:

• Step 1: You will be briefed about your surgery and given in depth information regarding the risks and benefits, after which you will need to sign a consent form.
• Step 2: You can choose which hospital you would prefer to be admitted into, depending on availability.
• Step 3: Additional investigations may be required prior to surgery, including X-ray, MRI or CT scans. If required, Mr Unni will advise. Knee replacements are usually performed with patient matched instrumentation so MRI or CT scans are therefore necessary to plan the operation. (Refer to the knee section of the website for further information on PSI knee replacement)
• Step 4: You will then be referred to Mr Unni’s physician at the respective hospital for a pre-operative check-up. The same physician will be looking after your medical needs while you are at the hospital for the surgery. Young patients not requiring medical attention during their surgery will not undergo this process.
• Step 5: You will receive an information sheet regarding pre-admission requirements, fasting status and ceasing medication prior to surgery.
• Step 6: The hospital staff will contact you a few days prior to your operation. Your anaesthetist may also contact you regarding your surgery and their costs.

Please note private patients will not incur any out of pocket cost towards surgeon’s fees for most health funds.

Admission Process

Admission is on the day of the operation unless otherwise mentioned.

Your stay in hospital will be determined by the nature of your surgery. Knee arthroscopy patients are generally discharged the same day. Hip and knee replacement patients are required to stay in hospital for at least 4-5 days. ACL reconstruction and ankle ligament reconstruction will require an overnight stay.

Discharge
Your discharge after this period is based on your ability to cope at home and a social worker/physiotherapist will assess this. In general hip and knee replacement patients who are unable to return home will be referred for a transfer to a rehabilitation centre close to their place of stay. This will be arranged by the hospital.

Suture removal and wound check will generally be done by your local doctor and Mr Unni will be writing to your GP regarding this. If you have staples, you will be provided with a staple remover, as your local doctor will not have them. Your follow up appointment with Mr Unni will be organiesd by his secretary at the time of your booking.

Most orthopaedic procedures require post-operative physiotherapy sessions. Mr Unni will refer you to a physiotherapist. The timing and frequency of the appointments is dependent on the surgery and recovery status.
You may also require supportive devices such as crutches, a walking stick, special splints and shoes. This can also be organised through Mr Unni’s orthotic team.

Patient First Visit

Please ensure that you bring with you:

• Your referral letter/s.
• Your Medicare card.
• Any relevant investigations that you may have (e.g. X-rays, MRI etc.)
• If you have private health insurance, please bring your private insurance details.
• Any orthotics, walking aids or shoe inserts you may have for the current problem.

Any past investigations or consultation records either with Mr. Unni or others relevant to the current problem
It is recommended that you arrive 10 minutes prior to your appointment to allow yourself enough time for registration and settling in. Your timely arrival is greatly appreciated, because sequential delays between patients can upset the consulting outcome not only for you, but also for others.

Please dress appropriately to assist Mr Unni examining you with ease. If you have a hip or knee problem, loose fitting pants, shorts or skirts would be appropriate. Foot and ankle examinations may also require examination of the entire lower limb, so loose-fitting attire would be helpful.

Private Insurance

It is mandatory to have private insurance to be admitted and operated in a private hospital. Unless you are self funded. Every surgery has an item number with a specified cost to it. Part of this cost might be covered by your private insurance. For further information please check with our administrative staff.