INFOMATION ON REPLACEMENT IN AUSTRALIA (HINTERGRA)

CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCE:
HELLO ALL, I'M MALE 31 FROM AUTRALIA. HAD INTERNAL FIXATION ON LEFT ANKLE AND SURGEONS TOLD ME I HAVE TOTALLY DEMOLISHED THE JOINT, BONE FRAGMENTS ALL THRU IT, AUDABLY "CRACKS" WHEN FLEXED. NO PAIN UNLESS WEIGHTBEARING OR MOVED. CALF MUSCLE AND THIGH MUSCLE ON RIGHT LEG HAVE BECOME NOTICEABLY SMALLER DUE TO LIMPING. ANYWAY, IT WAS BROKEN AT THE END OF 2004 AND I'VE READ ABOUT KIRA'S EXPERIENCE AND PLAN TO HAVE AN IDENTICAL REPLACEMENT.

INSURANCE INFORMATION:
LIKE I SAID I'M IN A USTRALIA, I JOINED MEDIBANK PRIVATE THE OTHER DAY "FIRST CHOICE HOSPITAL" AND THAT APPARENTLEY COVERS THE REPLACEMET, AND STAY. POSIBLY THERE IS A GAP THE SURGON CHARGES FOR THE ACTUAL PROCEEDURE. I FORGOT TO ASK IF THAY HAVE GAP COVER, WILL UPDATE WHAT I FIND OUT LATTER. I PAY INTO IT MONTHLY FOR 12 M0ONTHS THEN PEREXISTING CONDITIONS ARE COVERED. AS FAR AS I KNOW THE MEDICARE ITEM NUMBER FOR TOTAL ANKLE AND JOINT REPLACEMENT IS 49715. ONCE YOU TURN 31 THEN EVERY YEAR AFTER THAT YOU GET 2% ADDED TO YOUR INSTALLMENTS.

OKAY, IN AUSTRALIA, AS FAR AS I KNOW YOU CAN GET THE HINTEGRA IN SYDNEY IN MELBOURNE. NOT SURE ABOUT OTHER STATES. APPARENTLY MOST HEALTH INSURANCE IS NATIONAL THOUGH. MR. MARK BLACKNEY IS A SURGEON IN MELBOURNE, HE DOES HINTEGRA REPLACEMENTS AND PROBABLY OTHER PROCEEDURES ON AFL AND NRL PLAYERS, HE IS FROM THE PARK CLINIC: http://www.theparkclinic.com.au
Ph: (03) 9417 0762
ALSO THERE IS
Harvinder S. Bedi
Ph: (03) 9486 9034

SO THEY BOTH DO HINTEGRAS IN MELBOURNE, THE PARK CLINIC SEEMS TO DO EVERY JOINT IN THE BODY TOO I NOTICED. SURGEONS SPECIALISE IN ONE PART OF THE BODY THERE. WHICH I THINK IS GOOD.

I'M IN N.S.W., SO ANYWAY, I RANG THE PARK CLINIC AND THEY RECOMMENDED MR KIM SLATER (02)94375999 (NOT SURE ABOUT WEB ADDRESS IS) AND THEY SAID HE IS AN EXCELLENT SURGEON WHO DOES HINTEGRAS IN NORTH SYDNEY. I WORK ABOUT 15 MINUTES FROM THERE. SO THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING. THEY BASICALLY SAID THERE IS A 2 MONTH WAIT TO SEE HIM AND THEN A 4 MONTH WAIT TO GET IT DONE.

ASSUMING THE GAP HE CHARGES IS AFFORDABLE TO ME OR COVERED BY MY INSURANCE I WILL BOOK IN TO SEE HIM AT ABOUT NOVEMBER THIS YEAR AND ALL GOING WELL HOPEFULLY WILL GET IT DONE 4 MONTHS LATTER (MARCH 2009) OR SO.

SO I JUST THOUGHT THIS BEING A .com.au SITE THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN WHO DOES HINTEGRAS HERE. I HOPE TO BE UPDATING ABOUT GETTINING A HINTEGRA ASSUMING SMOOTH SAILING.