What to Expect at Your First Consultation with Dr David Kitchen

If your GP is arranging X-rays or an MRI for ongoing hip or knee pain, they may suggest an orthopaedic specialist opinion.

If your GP recommends this, you can request a referral to Dr David Kitchen, an Adelaide Orthopaedic Specialist with subspecialty training in hip and knee surgery. He sees patients with hip and knee arthritis, knee and sports injuries and those considering joint replacement or revision surgery.

Your first consultation with Dr Kitchen will include a discussion around your symptoms, a review of your imaging and the opportunity to better understand the underlying issue and treatment options that are suitable for you. 

When should you ask your GP about specialist referral?

You could already be working through the problem with your GP and they might be arranging an X-ray, MRI or another investigation.

Knee pain may no longer settling after physiotherapy or medication. Your hip might be making shoes, socks, walking or sleep increasingly difficult. A sports injury could be causing swelling, instability or preventing you from getting back to training.

If imaging reports that further assessment is needed, or your symptoms are continuing despite conservative treatments, you can ask your GP about referral to Dr Kitchen.

You do not need to decide before a consultation if you want surgery. A specialist opinion is about understanding the problem and all options available to you.

What to bring to your first appointment with Dr Kitchen

A little preparation helps Dr Kitchen get a clearer picture of what has been happening. Please bring or make sure the rooms have access to:

• Your GP referral
• Relevant X-rays, MRI or CT imaging and reports
• A current medication list
• Details of treatment you have already tried, such as physiotherapy, injections or medication
• Comfortable clothing or shorts for physical examination
• Information about previous surgery or injuries involving the joint
• Any questions you want to discuss

If you would feel more comfortable bringing your partner, family member or another support person, you can do that too. Having another person listening can be useful when there is a lot to take in.

What happens at your first consultation with Dr Kitchen

The initial consultation is about putting several pieces of information together rather than looking at a scan in isolation.

Dr Kitchen will ask about your symptoms, examine the affected hip or knee and review your imaging and medical history. He will also want to understand how the problem is affecting your actual life, including:

• How far you can comfortably walk
• Trouble with stairs or getting out of a chair
• Interrupted sleep
• Difficulty working or driving
• Giving up exercise or sport
• Problems gardening, travelling or playing golf
• Trouble keeping up with children or grandchildren
• A knee that catches, locks or feels unreliable

These details matter because two people can have similar-looking X-rays but very different levels of pain and limitation.

What will Dr Kitchen look for during the examination?

The physical assessment will change with the problem, but Dr Kitchen may assess your joint movement, tenderness, alignment, strength and stability. He will also look at how you stand and walk.

This can help assess movement, ligament stability and where pain is coming from for a knee problem. For hip symptoms, the examination can help identify restricted movement, painful positions and how the hip is affecting walking and function.

The examination is then considered alongside your symptoms and imaging.

What happens when Dr Kitchen reviews your X-rays or MRI?

Imaging is important, but it does not tell the whole story, which is why Dr Kitchen will review your X-rays, MRI or other scans and explain what they show in the context of the symptoms you are experiencing.

An X-ray may show arthritis, joint-space narrowing or changes in alignment. An MRI may provide more detail about structures such as the meniscus, ACL or cartilage. The important part is matching those findings with your examination and what the joint is stopping you from doing.

A scan that looks significant does not automatically mean surgery is needed. Equally, symptoms can have a major effect on daily life even when an imaging report does not sound severe.

Does seeing Dr Kitchen mean you will need surgery?

Seeing Dr Kitchen or another orthopaedic surgeon does not mean you have committed to an operation.

After assessing your symptoms, examination, imaging and previous treatment, Dr Kitchen will explain what he considers is causing the problem and discuss the treatment options available. For one patient, the next step may still be physiotherapy, activity changes, medication, injections or monitoring and surgery may be worth considering for another.

If surgery is discussed, Dr Kitchen will explain why it may help, the alternatives, risks and recovery, as well as what the procedure would involve. This discussion might include joint replacement for patients with hip or knee arthritis, or sports knee injury treatments such as ACL reconstruction or meniscal injury repair.

Dr Kitchen’s recommendation will always come back to the condition of your joint, your health, your symptoms and goals.

What questions should you ask Dr Kitchen?

If you have questions, write them down before your appointment. Many patients may be experiencing pain, poor sleep and nerves that can make it surprisingly easy to forget what they wanted to ask. Useful questions could include:

• What do you think is causing my symptoms?
• What do my scans show?
• What treatment options do I have?
• Are there non-surgical treatments I should still try?
• What happens if I wait?
• If surgery is discussed, what procedure would you recommend and why?
• What are the risks vs potential benefits?
• What could recovery involve and when could I return to work, driving or exercise?

You should also tell Dr Kitchen what matters most to you. Getting back to competitive sport, for instance, is a very different goal from comfortably walking around the shops, returning to a physical job or being able to travel without constantly planning around hip or knee pain.

Why do Adelaide patients ask for referral to Dr David Kitchen?

Dr David Kitchen is an Australian-trained Orthopaedic Surgeon with subspecialty fellowship training and practice centred on hip and knee surgery, including:

• Total, partial, robotic-assisted and patient-specific knee replacement
• Total and robotic-assisted hip replacement
• Revision hip and knee replacement
• ACL injuries and reconstruction
• Meniscal injuries
• Sports knee injuries
• Cartilage injuries

If surgery is relevant, techniques such as robotic-assisted Mako surgery, the direct anterior hip approach or patient-specific planning may be discussed if suitable.

Dr Kitchen expertly reviews your imaging and physical condition, assesses your symptoms and most importantly, listens to your concerns and goals when considering treatment.

Know your Orthopaedic Specialist options in Adelaide

Dr Kitchen consults privately at sportsmed Stepney, sportsmed Henley Beach and at The Specialist Clinic Port Pirie.

If you experience ongoing hip and knee pain, you do not need to wait until somebody tells you that surgery is required before researching your specialist options.

If your GP is currently investigating hip or knee symptoms and specialist assessment may be the next step, you can ask to be referred to Dr David Kitchen.

*This article is for general information and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. All surgical procedures carry risks and results vary between individuals. Consult with Dr David Kitchen MBBS MA (Cantab) BA Hons PhD FRACS FAOrthA (MED0001951664), Orthopaedic Specialist, for a personalised treatment plan.