Post-operative care, discharge and & follow-up

Prior to discharge, you will be given advice and information regarding:

• Post-operative wound/dressing care and scar management.
• Any limitations on mobility or showering.
• Post-op medications, including analgaesia (pain relief) and antibiotics, if required.
• Any referrals to allied health care (e.g. hand therapy) or post-op investigations (e.g. X-rays).
• Your postoperative appointment time and location for review and suture removal.
• A contact number in the case of an emergency or any concerns.

We value your feedback about your care and our services. We appreciate and welcome your comments, which we use to help us review and improve our care. A Patient Feedback Form will be sent to you after your procedure.

Photographic recordings form part of your confidential medical record and may be used to assist in the diagnosis, treatment and outcome assessment of your condition. They may also provide a resource for communication with other healthcare professionals through medical teaching, research, and audit.

All patients have before and after photographs taken that are kept with your record. On some occasions, Dr Richardson will use these photographs, with reasonable identity protection, for education or marketing purposes. If you would prefer your photographs not to be used in this way, please indicate this on your Patient Registration Form. Rest assured, this will not affect the standard of care you receive. You may withdraw your consent to the use of photographs at any time; however, if published, withdrawal of consent may not be possible. No fees are paid for publication or broadcast, and you may ask a relative, friend or nurse to be present during the photography session.

Following the procedure, you will need to attend Dr Richardson’s rooms for aftercare review, generally scheduled within a week of the surgery. The purpose of this is to assess your healing and ensure you are making a healthy recovery. In some cases, sutures may need to be removed and any pathology results discussed. There are no surgical consultation fees during this routine aftercare period, excluding additional items, such as garments, splints, creams, tapes or silicone gel.

Routine aftercare (RAC) varies depending on the procedure performed:

• Skin procedures: 14 days
• Fracture surgery: 6 weeks
• Major procedures with a Medicare item number: 4 weeks
• Cosmetic surgery: 12 months

Should subsequent appointments be required that fall outside of this aftercare period, a review fee will apply.