Are you struggling with hip pain and think you might need a hip replacement?

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ROUTES TO SEEING AN ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON

1. The first step is often to speak to your GP about your concerns. If they feel it is required, your GP will then refer you for an orthopaedic consultation.
2. Or you may be having physiotherapy appointments for your hip, and your physiotherapist may discuss the need for seeing an orthopaedic surgeon.
3. Another route to seeing a specialist is if you are self funding, you may not require a referral and you will therefore go straight to booking an orthopaedic appointment.

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NEXT STEPS

Selecting your surgeon will depend on whether you are having your hip surgery through the NHS, health insurance, or you are self-funding.

1. NHS: If you are having your operation through the NHS, you will be referred to an orthopaedic surgeon at your local hospital.
2. Private health insurance: Depending on which health insurance provider you are with and the terms of your policy, there may be some guidelines such as choosing from a list of surgeons, hospitals, or locations. Or you may be completely free to select your surgeon, and then you will need to let your insurers know who this is.
3. Self-funding: If you are paying for your surgery yourself, you will choose which surgeon you would like to see.

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CONSIDERATIONS FOR SELECTING YOUR SURGEON

For anyone who is going down the route of self-funding or using private health insurance, you may suddenly feel that you are faced with this important decision and don’t quite know where to start. Here are some of the factors you may wish to explore in order to make your choice of private surgeon and hospital for your hip surgery:

• You could look at the surgeon’s specialisations and their areas of expertise.
• You could check the surgeon’s professional credentials.
• Read patient testimonials and visit the surgeons website for further information.
• Seek recommendations from your GP.
• Get a recommendations from your physio, as they may have worked closely with surgeons and can provide a list of approved practitioners.
• Your health insurer may have a list of approved surgeons or hospitals, which can be a useful starting point for your research. Their website may offer filters by speciality to help narrow down your search.
• You may know someone that has had hip replacement surgery. Talk to them about their experience and recommendations.
• If you have a particular hospital in mind, you can visit their website and explore the profiles of consultants practising there.
• Consider the facilities available at the hospital when making your decision.
• Ask for the costs of your surgery.
• Enquire into the aftercare procedures for your required operation.

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BOOK YOUR FIRST CONSULTATION

The next step will be to contact your chosen consultant. You can do this by calling their medical secretary, or by contacting the hospital who will transfer you to the right department.

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PATIENT CASE STUDIES: HOW MY PATIENTS CHOOSE ME FOR THEIR SURGERY

The following quotes are from my patients’ case studies, describing their reasons for choosing me as their surgeon. If you would like to read the full case studies, you can do so here.

“I’m lucky enough that the company I work for provide private medical insurance with Bupa. I contacted them and they sent over a list of surgeons within the area I requested. I researched all of these and was so impressed with the testimonials for Mr Asopa, and with his experience dealing with osteoarthritis, that I made the decision to make my initial consultation appointment with him.” – NA, June 2024 – Right hip replacement

“So, I did my due diligence once Axa PPP had approved a list of three potential surgeons. I asked several people I knew for their opinions, and I was recommended Mr Asopa.” – LC, November 2024 – Total right hip replacement

“My health insurance provider gave me the names of several specialists. I Googled them and chose Mr Asopa, mainly because of his interest in sports injuries.” – SL, March 2024 – Total right hip replacement

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MORE ABOUT HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY

Thank you for reading this blog. If you would like to know more about what happens after you have chosen your surgeon, here are some useful links to explore:

• About your consultations: https://ortho-surgery.uk/index.php/appointments/
• About hip replacement surgery: https://ortho-surgery.uk/index.php/custom-hip-replacement/
• Hip replacement rehabilitation: https://ortho-surgery.uk/index.php/hip-replacement-rehabilitation/