What happens after your initial consultation for your hip or knee pain? 👇
What happens after your initial consultation for your hip or knee pain depends on a number of factors. Surgery is always the last resort as a treatment option which many are surprised to hear. Most patients suppose that their consultant will encourage surgery, when in fact this is quite the opposite.
Your consultant should advise conservative or non-operative treatments initially, which typically include:
Painkillers
Lifestyle changes
Physiotherapy
Injections
Using myself as an example, I work with some local physiotherapists here in Dorset and I trust them to give my patients the best possibility of avoiding surgery. However if surgery is needed, then at least I know that they will be in the best possible condition before an operation, which is important.
The vast majority of patients that come to see me have already tried non-operative treatments and while they may have worked for a time, they now have failed to give enough pain relief. This is the time where patients are in need of hip or knee surgery.
At this point, your orthopaedic consultant will explain to you in great depth all that the operation entails, the risks and potential complications before you make an informed decision. What happens after your hip or knee surgery is also essential, and this will be discussed at your appointment in detail, so you have all the information you need to take the next step.
Then, as long as you are happy to proceed, we can then discuss the option of location and timing that best suits you and your life events.
If you go privately for your hip or knee surgery, surgery can normally be performed within a week or two of the consultation and a pre-operative assessment which is usually carried out within a week or two of your surgery to ensure that it is medically safe to proceed.
I hope this pocket-guide has been useful and that you have more clarity on what happens after your initial consultation. If you would like to learn more about hip and knee pain visit my resources page for more guide and useful resources.
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