Working alongside your surgeon
Specialist sport and exercise medicine sits between primary care and surgery. A large part of the work is helping patients and surgeons decide when surgery is the right step, then supporting recovery in close communication afterwards.
Many musculoskeletal problems do not need surgery. It is important to assess and consider non-surgical and surgical options. Specialist sport and exercise medicine sits squarely in that conversation: working alongside your surgeon, not around them.
The surgical decision
Some conditions have clear surgical indications. Many sit in territory where surgery is reasonable, non-surgical care is also reasonable, and the right answer depends on you: your goals, your sport, your stage of life, and your tolerance for the trade-offs of each pathway.
The role of the specialist sports doctor is to lay out the options, including the uncertainties, and to help you make the decision rather than pushing toward one answer. Once the decision is made, the work shifts to supporting whichever pathway you have chosen.
Pre-operative optimisation
Pre-habilitation is well-supported. Strength, range of motion, cardiovascular fitness, smoking cessation, glycaemic control, body composition, and sleep all influence surgical outcomes. The pre-operative window is an opportunity to enter surgery in the best shape possible.
- Structured strength and conditioning, often with a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist
- Optimisation of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors
- Anaemia, vitamin D, and bone health review where relevant
- Pain management strategies that minimise opioid reliance
- Education about the surgery and recovery
Post-operative care
The early post-operative phase belongs to your surgeon and physiotherapist. Specialist sport and exercise medicine adds value later in the rehabilitation, when return-to-running and return-to-sport decisions need an objective specialist input, or when recovery has stalled.
Where return to sport is the goal, see also return to sport assessment.
Second opinions
Patients are welcome to request a specialist sport and exercise medicine opinion alongside or before a surgical opinion. The two perspectives often complement each other. Bring all imaging, reports, and any letters from prior consultations.
Common questions
Do you recommend specific surgeons?
Recommendations are based on clinical fit (the surgeon best suited to your specific problem) and on knowing the surgeons we work with on the Sunshine Coast and in Brisbane. The choice is yours.
Will you communicate with my surgeon?
Yes, with your consent. Letters and updates flow between the practitioners managing you so the plan stays coordinated.
Can I see a specialist sports doctor without ever seeing a surgeon?
Often, yes. Many conditions are best served by non-surgical care. The conversation about whether and when to involve a surgeon is part of the consultation.
