01 Jul How to Choose the Right Orthopaedic Surgeon in Melbourne: A Patient Guide
Deciding on hip or knee surgery is rarely simple. You want a surgeon you can trust, a clear pathway, and an honest view of your options. This guide is for adults in Melbourne and Victoria weighing hip or knee surgery, and for family members helping them compare public and private care.
This is general education, not personal medical advice. Your GP is the right starting point. They can examine you, arrange a referral, and help compare options that suit your health, symptoms, and goals.
Do You Need Surgery Now?
Not all joint pain leads to surgery. Clinicians consider how much pain limits daily life, how well non-surgical care is working, and what imaging and examination show. Non-surgical care may include exercise, weight management, medicines, injections, or physiotherapy. For osteoarthritis, many Victorian patients are referred to an Osteoarthritis Hip and Knee Service clinic before any surgical decision.
Shared decision-making matters. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care encourages patients to ask: What are my options? What are the benefits and risks? What happens if I do nothing? A second opinion is reasonable before planned surgery.
For more on joint health and orthopaedic research, see MedicalResearch.com’s orthopaedic and joint health research coverage.
Public Versus Private in Victoria
To see a specialist with a Medicare rebate, you need a GP referral. Services Australia says a standard GP referral to a specialist lasts 12 months from your first specialist appointment unless stated otherwise. Healthdirect notes that Medicare will not cover specialist costs without a referral.
In the public system, planned surgery is sorted into urgency categories. VAHI lists Category 1, recommended within 30 days; Category 2, within 90 days; and Category 3, within 12 months. Your surgeon assigns the category based on clinical need.
How to Check a Surgeon’s Credentials
You can verify a surgeon yourself. Start with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Its public Register of Practitioners confirms a doctor’s current registration status and listed qualifications.
Next, look for FRACS, Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. RACS describes fellowship as a marker of specialist surgical training, continuing professional development, and practice in accredited settings. For orthopaedics, you may also see Australian Orthopaedic Association membership.
Beyond the letters, ask whether a surgeon focuses on hip and knee work, how often they perform your procedure, and whether they participate in audit and the national joint registry. The AOANJRR has captured around 99% of primary and revision joint-replacement procedures in Australia since 1 September 1999, supporting transparent monitoring.
Where to Look Next: Directories and Local Options
The RACS Find a Surgeon tool and AOA’s Find-a-Surgeon directory both list members who have chosen to display practice details. AOA staff do not provide recommendations or medical advice, so treat directories as research aids rather than endorsements.
If you prefer a Melbourne-based consultation focused on hip, knee, and sports knee conditions, you can review practice scope and consulting sites for Dr David Sime orthopaedic surgeon in Melbourne as one option alongside the AOA and RACS directories. The practice lists locations at Fitzroy, Wantirna, Mornington, and Moorabbin, and asks patients to bring a valid GP referral. Always confirm current registration through AHPRA.
Hospital and Safety Signals
The hospital matters as much as the surgeon. Australian hospitals are assessed against the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, covering areas such as infection prevention and medication safety. You can usually confirm accreditation on a hospital’s website or through the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
Accreditation supports safer perioperative care around the time of your operation. Practical checks include reading the hospital’s quality pages and asking how the team manages complications. If you are comparing local options, ask any practice, including Dr David Sime’s rooms, which hospitals are used for your procedure and what pre-admission steps are required.
Understanding Your Hip and Knee Options
Your surgeon’s assessment should guide the final choice. For hips, the main planned operation is total hip replacement. Surgeons may use an anterior or posterior approach. Both are widely used, and surgeon experience generally matters more than the approach itself.
For knees, options can include partial or total knee replacement, osteotomy in selected cases to realign the joint, and arthroscopy for certain sports-related injuries. Replacement volumes are substantial: the AOANJRR recorded 60,414 hip and 79,331 knee replacements in 2024, with the total registry count reaching 2,285,453 by the end of 2024.
For more on knee replacement research and cost-effectiveness, see MedicalResearch.com’s coverage of knee replacement outcomes.
Robotic Assistance: What the Evidence Says
Robotic-assisted surgery is increasingly offered. A 2024 randomised-controlled-trial meta-analysis found that robotic total knee arthroplasty improves implant alignment but shows similar clinical and functional outcomes and similar complication rates compared with conventional technique.
Costs and Timing Questions to Raise
Costs depend on whether you go public or private, your health fund, and your procedure. This guide does not quote prices for any practice. For private care, ask for an itemised written estimate of out-of-pocket costs, including surgeon, anaesthetist, assistant, and hospital fees. Confirm how your Medicare rebate and health fund cover work together. Cost-effectiveness discussions also often consider symptom burden, especially for people with severe knee symptoms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do Victoria’s wait-time categories mean?
VAHI lists Category 1, within 30 days; Category 2, within 90 days; and Category 3, within 12 months. Your surgeon assigns the category based on clinical urgency.
Is robotic knee replacement better?
Current evidence suggests robotic knee replacement improves alignment but produces similar functional outcomes and complication rates compared with conventional surgery. Ask your surgeon how it applies to you.
Bringing It Together
Choosing well comes down to clear steps: confirm your surgeon through AHPRA and FRACS, understand the public and private pathways, ask plain questions about your options, and check that the hospital meets NSQHS standards. Reviewing directories and a local listing such as Dr David Sime can help you compare, but the final decision should rest on a thorough consultation.
The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights supports your right to information and shared decisions. For advice tailored to your health, speak with your GP or specialist before deciding on any procedure.
Disclaimer: The information on MedicalResearch.com is provided for educational purposes only, and is in no way intended to diagnose, cure, or treat any medical or other condition. Some links are sponsored. Products, services and providers are not warranted or endorsed by MedicalResearch.com or Eminent Domains Inc. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health and ask your doctor any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. In addition to all other limitations and disclaimers in this agreement, service provider and its third party providers disclaim any liability or loss in connection with the content provided on this website.
Last Updated on July 1, 2026 by Marie Benz MD FAAD