Post Surgery Rehabilitation

Post Surgery Rehab FAQ

• Would it be helpful to provide you X-Rays and MRIs?

  Yes and no.

  People tend to be very focused on X-rays and MRI results, but many of the changes in the joints that are highlighted on these scans actually may or may not relate to the person’s level of pain or symptoms.

  If the patient is elderly, it is likely they will have degeneration in their joints regardless of the scan results which is a prominent factor to recognise. We like to treat the individual based on their symptoms.

  There is literature to suggest people tend to become too focused on scan results regardless of whether they are in-line with their pain and symptoms.

  For example, an individual may have degeneration in their knee joint from years of playing football whilst younger but may not experience a lot of pain.

• I'm required to return to the hospital for checkups. Do you liaise with the surgeon in any way?

  Yes, we like to do so!

  After the initial assessment, we’ll do an initial management plan and then we will forward that to the medical provider that has referred you, or you’d like us to engage with.

  We can also provide an updated report on your progress according to our findings and of course, we will follow the surgical’s postoperative instructions.

• My recovery time could be variable and possibly long-term. How do I know the long-term costs associated for health care and am I locked into the service?

  You’re not locked into any service, you simply engage us for as many sessions as you would like or require and we bill you for each session.

  Total Health Choice will visit your home, perform an assessment, a follow-up session and provide you with a home evidence-based exercise program that we would like you to adhere to.

  In most cases, a hip or knee rehabilitation program would be 12 sessions over 6 weeks.

  During the initial consultation, we will let you know how many sessions we recommend to help you achieve your meaningful goals! We can also help you calculate Medicare, NDIS or HomeCare funding.

  And then we will monitor you to try and achieve restoring you back to your optimal best.

• What type of surgery do you most commonly assist with?

  We primarily help rehabilitate patients after total hip and total knee replacements, as these are the most common orthopedic surgeries performed.

  Physiotherapists from Total Health Choice have attended professional courses focusing on treatment for people with hip/knee osteoarthritis, so we are well placed in offering this service.

  Generally, the individuals we see post-orthopedic surgery for total hip replacements or total knee replacements are older adults or elderly individuals, this is because people and medical professionals may prolong surgical options for as long as possible.

• Do you help people with their emotional state while they're rehabilitating?

  Yes, absolutely.

  Total Health Choice embraces our values of trust, compassion & care and rehabilitating the person holistically is what we’re about!

  If we can earn your trust, then we can build a relationship based on trust. When clinically appropriate, we will ask you to follow our lead and we will show you it’s okay to bear weight, it’s okay to have pain, and that together, we can achieve what we set out to.

  We will do whatever we can to instil confidence to help reduce that fear and restore optimal movement patterns!

• How do I make a referral for rehabilitation services?

  Step 1 – Establish if we are an appropriate provider

  When a patient is being discharged from the rehabilitation ward of the hospital to us, we recommend commencement of therapy as soon as possible!

  Please contact us via our contact or referrals page, Total Health Choice services Metro Melbourne and the inner South-Eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

  One of our wonderful Physios or OTs will visit the person’s residence to conduct an initial assessment.

  Step 2 – Graded Rehabilitation Program

  After the initial assessment, we develop a management plan on how to work towards the patient’s goals. These meaningful goals may be:

  • Decreasing pain
  • Reduce use of opioid medication
  • The ability to walk or access the community
  • Returning to play bridge
  • Return to play lawn bowls or golf
  • Meeting friends and socialising

  Ultimately, our goal is to return our patient to their premorbid function and improve their mobility and strength to allow them to live their best life. During the acute stage of rehab, we would likely place emphasis on symptom and pain management.

  We take initial outcome measures to understand a person’s current status, namely their strength, pain levels, mobility, range of motion and overall well being. This will allow us to monitor symptoms and provide a baseline for improvement!

  We try and focus on reducing the person’s perceived pain and focus on functional tasks and weight-bearing, strength and balance exercises to help with the rehabilitation progress. We provide tailor-made exercise programs unique to the individual’s needs.