boyoboy
Well-known member
did not know I even have/had a choice of surgeons. ty
any way I can cut the line for knee surgery?
- Thread starter boyoboy
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did not know I even have/had a choice of surgeons. ty
My wife is a medical professional.
There are "Priority numbers" for everything.
Since you are still walking, you are not anywhere near the highest priority.
Your best bet is to do as others have suggested and make yourself available 24/7 on short notice for surgery once you get booked. Second best bet is to try to get yourself moved to a higher priority, but short of being bedridden in the hospital and relying on opioids for pain control, that's unlikely to happen.
Have you been referred to an orthopaedic surgeon yet? Your GP alone can't simply book you for a major surgery like this, there is a process that needs to be followed (possibly via 2 levels of specialists), and unfortunately none of it is particularly fast unless, again...that priority number thing.
There are "Priority numbers" for everything.
Since you are still walking, you are not anywhere near the highest priority.
Your best bet is to do as others have suggested and make yourself available 24/7 on short notice for surgery once you get booked. Second best bet is to try to get yourself moved to a higher priority, but short of being bedridden in the hospital and relying on opioids for pain control, that's unlikely to happen.
Have you been referred to an orthopaedic surgeon yet? Your GP alone can't simply book you for a major surgery like this, there is a process that needs to be followed (possibly via 2 levels of specialists), and unfortunately none of it is particularly fast unless, again...that priority number thing.
boyoboy
Well-known member
as posted earlier my gp has referred me to a surgeon. I have been waiting for my first office visit with the surgeon for 3 months or a bit longer. I still haven't even been given a date for my first office visit with the surgeon after 3 months - and I still do not even know when I will. no date, just told Im on a list. I have brought this up with my gp every 3 weeks. my gut is starting to tell me something isn't right.
edit: I declined a pain killer prescription from my doctor - maybe this has something to do with it?
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Sorry must have missed the referral part.
Ask your GP for a referral to another surgeon, tell him you're done with that guy. Waiting 3 months and not even getting an appointment date yet is nuts.
Be willing to travel and make sure they know that. There's lots of orthopaedic surgeons out there.
Ask your GP for a referral to another surgeon, tell him you're done with that guy. Waiting 3 months and not even getting an appointment date yet is nuts.
Be willing to travel and make sure they know that. There's lots of orthopaedic surgeons out there.
boyoboy
Well-known member
thanks all for your feedback folks. tomorrow i will go to the surgeons office to find out what is going on. its not just me, 3 months is too long to wait for a first office visit. I am also going to ask my doctor for a referral to the fowler kennedy sports medicine clinic in london. I didn't realize I even had a choice to get more than one doctors opinion.
you can get more than one opinion, because in the end YOU are responsible for your health care. Its not uncommon for busy surgeons to be booked out for 6 months. Its not like doing an oil change, there is a limit to how many a day he can do.
And when you ask your doctor if the surgeon he recommends is good, the answer is ALWAYS yes. My knee surgeon was a really good guy and was highly recommended by clients that I knew, that said sometimes clients are idiots and dont followup with the full physio and dont understand why the recovery took forever and wasnt complete. Your responsible for your recovery.
Physiotherapists are a great source of reference since they do the followups for mobility and recovery and know who does good work and who is "ok", but you have to know one since they wont trash talk the hands that feed them.
And when you ask your doctor if the surgeon he recommends is good, the answer is ALWAYS yes. My knee surgeon was a really good guy and was highly recommended by clients that I knew, that said sometimes clients are idiots and dont followup with the full physio and dont understand why the recovery took forever and wasnt complete. Your responsible for your recovery.
Physiotherapists are a great source of reference since they do the followups for mobility and recovery and know who does good work and who is "ok", but you have to know one since they wont trash talk the hands that feed them.
OHIP will pay for an unlimited number of "second opinion" visits on the same issue so long as you can successfullly get referrals to them by either your GP, or the specialists you have already seen in the previous 12 months. The latter may not be as easy as the former.
Have you checked outside of the GTA ? My friend has a host of medical issues and was on a waiting list like you for months just to get an appointment. He had to move for his job and ended up in Sault Ste Marie for work. He said the medical care is way better up there since there's no waiting for anything. He went into a walk in clinic (not knowing anyone in town) for his initial diagnoses and was in the specialist office the same afternoon. anytime he's needed anything for a specialist it's either been same day or the next day... the specialist doc's he's seen told him that when asked if this was normal since he's not used to having immediate service and he was told yes since there are fewer patients in total.
I'm not saying move permanently but if it is just to see the surgery and follow ups perhaps check way outside of the GTA to speed up the process.
I'm not saying move permanently but if it is just to see the surgery and follow ups perhaps check way outside of the GTA to speed up the process.
BigEvilDoer
Well-known member
Hopefully you'll get in quickly enough....
But, as for a knee replacement, it really depends on your age.
My brother-in-law has severely bad knees - zero cartilage left, so it's constantly bone on bone. The doctors are all refusing to do anything about it because he's under 60. They say that a typical replacement knee is only good for 20 years before it wears out, and by then, you're 80, and won't likely be able to undergo a second replacement. So, he's on the wait list.. for about 4 years already. Been to see specialists in Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto. All say the same.
But, as for a knee replacement, it really depends on your age.
My brother-in-law has severely bad knees - zero cartilage left, so it's constantly bone on bone. The doctors are all refusing to do anything about it because he's under 60. They say that a typical replacement knee is only good for 20 years before it wears out, and by then, you're 80, and won't likely be able to undergo a second replacement. So, he's on the wait list.. for about 4 years already. Been to see specialists in Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto. All say the same.
dieselxx
Well-known member
This is true, I was fortunate to have a good sports doctor (head of Canada junior hockey at the time) get me an appointment quick with a back surgeon.
boyoboy
Well-known member
hi, went to visit the surgeons office today to see about my appointment date - and was told the doctor reviews the list herself. Still no date. I've made another appointment with my gp to see if I can get a referral to the london sports medicine clinic. Hope this works out well.
For what it's worth, I did not need a referral to see a doctor at the Athlete's care clinic. Hope that helps to know.
boyoboy
Well-known member
hi, very good to know and appreciated.
This is 10 years ago now but I went through a PITA process to deal with a bone chip in my ankle which was initially misdiagnosed as a sprained ankle.
Saw a sports doc who recommended physio. I think after a couple of weeks of physio the therapist said I need go to see the doctor again, who sent me for a xray which showed nothing. Then a bone scan which again showed nothing. Then got a MRI which finally revealed the bone chip. I think from the initial injury to the correct diagnosis took around a year.
But after the proper diagnosis, I think it took less than a month to see the surgeon and I got surgery within 6 months. I was walking around pretty normally at this point even with the bone chip inside. I think the key here was the sports med clinic I went to had the orthopedic surgeon listed on their staff list. So you might want to try to find a sports med doctor/clinic as mentioned previously, but specifically try to find one that is associated with a surgeon.
Saw a sports doc who recommended physio. I think after a couple of weeks of physio the therapist said I need go to see the doctor again, who sent me for a xray which showed nothing. Then a bone scan which again showed nothing. Then got a MRI which finally revealed the bone chip. I think from the initial injury to the correct diagnosis took around a year.
But after the proper diagnosis, I think it took less than a month to see the surgeon and I got surgery within 6 months. I was walking around pretty normally at this point even with the bone chip inside. I think the key here was the sports med clinic I went to had the orthopedic surgeon listed on their staff list. So you might want to try to find a sports med doctor/clinic as mentioned previously, but specifically try to find one that is associated with a surgeon.
I've been to Fowler Kennedy before and I also did not need a referral.
Just called them and booked an appt.. but I'm local so it's easy for me to just pop in for a visit.
EaZ8
Well-known member
private clinic is the way to go.
I saw Dr Tony Galea years ago for a shoulder issue and its been resolved.
if you google him dont be surprised if you read about Tie Domi (who i met in their gym/physio area) and Tiger woods...also dont be surprised if you read about him being arrested for bringing drugs into USA in improperly labeled bottles.
https://www.thefitinstitute.com/blog/find-your-nearest/institute-of-sports-medicine-etobicoke/
http://www.ontariodoctordirectory.ca/Etobicoke/Doctor-Anthony-Michael-Galea-34154.html
hell...here is the article...i dont know if he is taking new patients or not but ya...
http://www.torontosun.com/2016/10/2...thony-galea-guilty-of-professional-misconduct
His clinic is not private, in the sense that OHIP does cover my visits there.
Dr. Bacher is the regular guy I see there. Dr. Galea had been called over to help with an elusive knee issue I had. I think it was close to a year of testing to figure out what was wrong. But they will keep referring you to all the different specialist until you get fixed ....or you get tired of the hospital visits
I think Dr. Galea only takes new patients by referral nowadays.
