Do you think we need to improve the process and what we can do for you? If the Orthopedic surgeon didn´t provide this info, someone else asked this (nurse, social workers)?. Many thanks
pre in my case, and overall I have to dig to get info. very little info has been provided by the os's i have seen, just general info per se. the second os i have visited was more forthcoming, but that may be because i am more knowledgeable and started asking the right questions. i think they are more focused on doing surgery so imo they probably want to talk about that. have not had any post op info provided since i am a pre op candidate.
moral of the story, you will need to do your homework and get info from multiple sources. get as much info as you need.
My hospital, prince Charles in Brisbane, provides you with a booklet explaining what they are going to do, what the potential outcome will be, also lists complications, and the last few pages are all about the physiotherapy exercises you need to be doing post surgery.
It is a big teaching hospital, and has overseas Dr's here on fellowships learning the latest methods, I hope they are taking notice.
When you see the ortheo surgeon, first appt is his assessing you if you need surgery, your local GP has supplied, or supposed to have supplied him with information about you so he can assess if you really need the surgery, I took along my own copies of most recent MRI, and thankgoodness I did, Dr's had nothing on file at hospital, so how could they have assessed me for surgery without those x-rays etc, consultant furious when he saw my MRI, flicked letters in my file, and read my what GP had written to him, and then said FIRE GP before he kills you, I should have seen you five years ago, no mention in GP's letter of how bad my hip was, just that I had osteoarthritis, specialist told me not good enough for him to assess my level of damage, my ball of femur, or should I say what ball, had drilled a hole in my pelvis.
Mine in the end all happened very fast, they staff at the hospital must have really pulled their fingers out, because first surgery, outpatients and surgery 10 days apart, second surgery outpatients and surgery 7 months apart.
Once you have gone through this process, you get put on a waiting list for surgery, but in the meantime closer to your date your are contacted by therapy team to check your home, chairs high enough, over toilet seat, shower you can get into and out of, and they give you a list of what you require. You have to purchase retail, but you can access through various charities at a bargain price.
Then you have pre-surgery, check all your details, then junior team Dr, then nurses take swabs pelvic, mouth, then chemists, then physios who all explain and interview you, very thorough, and if you ask questions they are very good about answering, much of this information comes in groups, but anything personal is behind closed doors.
In my experience, information is very inconsistent, some hospitals are good at providing information sheets.
Rarely do surgeons suggest anything other that work that lines their pockets.
The information is out there,but sometimes you have to dig for it, which is one of the reasons I started my website nearly 3 years ago now, to help us inform ourselves better.
My website address is in my personal info here ...
http://patient.info/forums/profiles/rocketman-sg6uk-907025
and at the bottom of the moderator's "useful resources" page at
http://patient.info/forums/discuss/thr-useful-resources-487147
Best wishes
Graham - 🚀💃 🤸 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
To be honest pre op information was very basic - i found out far more on this website in the weeks leading up to surgery. The surgeon made it sound like quite a simple affair, and one which would be a minor inconvenience. As for post op - again probably fairly basic and more in relation to complications etc. I have to say it's probably a good thing i had no idea what to expect as recovery is pretty hard core, and one which i may not have gone for had i known it was quite so hard. Even so, i am thrilled with my new hip so it was all good no matter how i arrived here!