Orthopaedic Surgery
We care for people with a range of orthopaedic conditions.
What we do
The Orthopaedic Service serves as a quaternary referral centre catering for general, specialty and complex areas within Orthopaedic Surgery.
The department provides both inpatient and outpatient services for a number of sub-specialty electives, including:
- joint replacement
- statewide spinal referral and spinal telehealth
- sports injuries
- 'young hip' disorders
- orthopaedic virtual clinic.
We also provide the major Level one trauma service for South Australia, NT and remote locations.
Hand and upper limb outpatient clinics provide assessment and treatment services for anyone who has experienced some form of hand or upper limb trauma, or chronic hand or upper limb disorders.
We also work closely with the occupational therapy and physiotherapy units to ensure optimal outcomes for patients.
Services include:
- complex revision arthroplasty and hip preservation surgery in young adults
- outpatient clinic consultations for diagnosis and management of:
- osteoarthritis
- inflammatory arthritis
- post-traumatic arthritis
- developmental dysplasia of the hip/hip deformity
- avascular necrosis
- soft tissue injuries in the knee including cruciate ligament injury and meniscal tears.
Foot and ankle outpatient clinics provides assessment and treatment services for patients who suffer from adult degenerative foot and ankle disorders and lower limb fractures.
The Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) musculoskeletal tumour outpatient clinic is a part of The South Australian Sarcoma and Bone Tumour Unit, it is a statewide service, with a dedicated clinician located at the RAH.
The aim of the service is to improve outcomes for all patients with bone cancers, sarcomas and metastatic tumours.
Patients have access to the highest quality care including access to surgical teams with appropriate sarcoma-specific and anatomic site knowledge, as well as access to specialist paediatric, clinical and medical oncologists who have a particular interest and knowledge in sarcoma management. Plus access to systemic treatment and radiotherapy.
Specialist Sarcoma multidisciplinary team is responsible for assessment, diagnosis and treatment including surgical management, oncology and radiotherapy for soft tissue sarcoma and bone sarcoma.
Where to find us
Outpatient Department, Level 3 (ground floor), Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Check appointment information and screens on arrival at the RAH, for the specific location.
Who we are
Consultants
- Mr Sam Benveniste - Head of Unit
You need a referral from a GP or medical practitioner to access this service.
Once your referral has been received it will be triaged according to clinical urgency.
If your referral is accepted, you will either:
- receive a letter, phone call or text message confirming your appointment time, date and location
- receive a letter confirming you have been waitlisted for an appointment.
If the referral is declined, your GP or referring medical practitioner will be notified.
Outpatient services
Find out information about specialist outpatient appointments, how to be referred, plus information when attending an outpatient clinic.
Your outpatient appointment
Contact us to:
- change your appointment time
- cancel your appointment
- find out triage status
- general outpatient enquiries.
If you need to cancel or change your appointment time, let us know as soon as possible.
Preparing for surgery
The healthier you are going into surgery, the stronger you will be coming out. Find tips and resources to help you get ready for surgery.
We accept GP and specialist referrals to this service.
eReferrals are preferred.
Please use the Clinical Prioritisation Criteria (CPC) as a referral guide.
To ensure timely triage, include all demographic and clinical details.
The service triages referrals according to clinical urgency.
Urgent and serious referrals
If you are concerned about the appointment being delayed or if the patient's condition is deteriorating, contact the registrar to discuss.
Registrars are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Patients requiring immediate assessment should be sent directly to the Emergency Department.
Discharge guidelines
Patients whose medical condition has stabilised or resolved, and where no further appointment has been made, will be formally discharged.
If medical assessment is required again, a new referral should be made explaining the reason.