New patients and your first visit

You will need a referral

A referral from your GP or another specialist is required before we can book your appointment. It allows Medicare rebates to apply, and it gives us the background we need before you arrive.

• A GP referral lasts 12 months. A referral from another specialist lasts 3 months, so a GP referral is preferred.
• If a physiotherapist, osteopath or another allied health practitioner has suggested you see Prof Tran, you will still need a referral from your GP.
• We cannot confirm an appointment until the referral letter has reached the rooms, so it is worth asking your GP to send it through at the time of your visit.

Booking your appointment

Once your referral has been sent, call the rooms on (03) 9928 6161 or email office@sosclinic.com.au.

Consulting hours are Monday to Thursday, 9 am to 5 pm, and Friday, 9 am to 3 pm.

Our team will review your referral and, where another specialist or service would suit you better, will say so and help point you in the right direction. Not every procedure is carried out at this clinic.

What to bring

• A copy of your referral letter, if you have one
• Your Medicare card
• Your private health fund card, if you have cover
• Any imaging (X-ray, ultrasound, CT or MRI) together with the written reports. Please bring the images themselves, on disc or as an access link, not only the report
• A list of your current medications
• Operation reports from any previous surgery on the same joint

If you do not have imaging yet, we may arrange it after reviewing your referral, or after your consultation once we know what is needed.

Finding us

The clinic is on the ground floor of the St Francis Building, 166 Gipps Street, East Melbourne.

Parking

There is a paid car park opposite St Vincent’s East Melbourne in Grey Street, open for patient and visitor parking from 6 am to 10.30 pm on weekdays and from 2 pm to 10.30 pm at weekends. Metered parking is available in the surrounding streets.

A map and public transport directions are on our contact page.

What happens at your first appointment

The consultation starts with a conversation. Prof Tran will take your history, examine the joint, and go through any imaging you have brought.

• Expect questions about what the pain stops you doing, such as work, sleep, sport or stairs, as well as where it hurts. Those answers shape the plan.
• Further imaging may be arranged if what you have does not answer the question.
• You will leave with a plan. For most people that begins with non-operative care, and our physiotherapy team is in the same building.
• If surgery is the right option, it is discussed then, including what it involves and what recovery looks like.

Bring a partner, family member or friend if it helps. Two sets of ears are better than one, and it is easy to forget half of what was said.

Fees

Consultation fees vary with the type and length of the appointment. Our reception team will give you the current fee when you book, so there are no surprises on the day. Medicare rebates apply when you have a valid referral.

There may be out-of-pocket costs for consultations, procedures or surgery, depending on your treatment and your level of private health cover. Fees are explained clearly in advance so you can make an informed decision.

If surgery is recommended, the cost of the operation is a separate conversation and is confirmed in writing before anything is booked. Prof Tran’s site sets out the no-gap arrangements for hip and knee replacement at the private hospitals where he operates.

After your appointment

Questions after a consultation are normal and expected. Call or email the rooms and our team will get an answer back to you, or arrange a further review if that is what is needed.

Ongoing results, letters and appointment details are available through the patient portal.