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Supporting you on your health journey

Need more information about visiting the Lymphoedema Clinic? Find answers to our most commonly asked questions here.

COVID-19 pandemic

Your health is our first priority. In offering appointments in our clinic, we are taking every precaution to protect both our patients and staff, and are observing strict physical distancing and hand hygiene standards. However, if you have been in contact with a person with confirmed COVID-19 in the past 14 days, or if you have any cold or flu-like symptoms, please call us to re-schedule your appointment.

For patients who are unable to attend our clinic in person, we are still offering telehealth appointments where possible. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss the different options for your consultation.

Patient webinar

On Monday 21 June 2021, we held a patient-focused webinar on 'Personalising Oedema Management: Lymphoedema, Lipedema and Chronic Oedema'. See Resources for patients below for the link to the recording.

Who can refer me to your clinic?

No referral is required for our conservative treatment clinic. However, you may wish to talk to your GP about getting a chronic disease management plan, which entitles you to five allied health visits in a calendar year.

A GP referral is required for our multidisciplinary specialist clinics (diagnostic and surgical assessment clinics).

How can I contact you?

Contact us on +61 (2) 9812 2950 to make an appointment with our specialists, or to discuss your health concerns. See additional contact information here or make an enquiry here.

If you are a new patient, our friendly reception staff will take you through some questions to make sure we book you into the clinic most appropriate for you. This usually takes ten to fifteen minutes.

What happens after I book my appointment?

We will send an email with details about your appointment and consultation fees. For our specialist clinics, we will also phone or email you to confirm your appointment about seven to ten days beforehand.

How long should I allow for my first appointment?

In the conservative treatment clinic, your first appointment will take one hour. In our multidisciplinary specialist clinics, you will see three to four members of our team, so your visit will take from two to four hours.

Is parking available?

Yes there is. Directions and parking information can be found here.

We suggest you bring the following items to all appointments:

  • Referral – a valid referral from your medical practitioner.
  • Cards – Medicare, health fund, pension and Veterans' Affairs cards.
  • Medication list – of all your current medications, vitamins and supplements.
  • Test results – including CT, X-ray, heart test results and pathology from the past 6–12 months.
  • Discharge summaries or procedure reports if necessary.
  • Comfortable clothing if necessary.
Arriving at the clinic

You will need to complete a patient information form if you haven't previously done so. Our staff will then register you as a patient.

Your initial consultation

In our conservative treatment clinic, you will be seen by an ALA-accredited lymphoedema therapist who has a background in either physiotherapy or occupational therapy.

In our diagnostic clinic, you will be seen by a medical specialist and a lymphoedema therapist. You may also undergo a simple dye test known as ICG lymphography (which allows assessment of lymph flow) with our lymphatic specialist, Associate Professor Hiroo Suami.

In our surgical assessment clinic, you will be seen by a medical specialist, a plastic surgeon and a lymphoedema therapist. One of our research officers will also take a number of baseline measurements. You may also undergo ICG lymphography with Associate Professor Hiroo Suami.

Questions to ask your clinician

We want our patients to feel comfortable with the treatment they receive. We encourage you to ask your doctor key questions, such as:

  • Do I really need this test, treatment or procedure?
  • What are the risks?
  • Are there simpler, safer options?
  • What happens if I don't do anything?
  • What are the costs?
Next steps

We ask for payment on the day of your visit. For payments eligible for private health insurance or Medicare rebates, we will make the claims on your behalf.

After your consultation in one of our specialist clinics (diagnostic or surgical assessment clinic), we will send a report to you, your GP and other interested parties with the outcome of your visit and plans for future management.

How much will my appointment cost?

There will be an out-of-pocket cost for all consultations. This will vary depending on which clinic you attend. Please call us for details.

Will I get money back from Medicare?

For consultations with one of our medical practitioners, you will be eligible for Medicare rebates with a valid referral. However, in most cases there will be a gap between Medicare rebates and our fees.

We can lodge your rebate with Medicare on your behalf when you pay for your appointment. Medicare will then credit your nominated bank account.

Will I get money back from my private health insurance?

For consultations in our conservative treatment clinic, you may be eligible for cover from your private health fund depending on the level of your plan. For more information, speak to your health fund directly about what’s covered in your policy.

When do I pay for my appointment?

MQ Health Lymphoedema Clinic is not a bulk-billing practice, so you will need to pay at the time of your consultation. Don't forget to bring your Medicare and private health insurance card to your appointment so that we can claim on your behalf.

What if I am a Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) patient?

If you are a DVA patient with a gold card, we can lodge your account for lymphoedema therapy directly to DVA with no out-of-pocket expense for you. Please remember to bring your gold card to each appointment.

For consultations in one of our specialist clinics, we will need to arrange prior approval to cover the cost of your visit.

Are there other patient expenses?

There are out-of-pocket expenses not covered by Medicare or your health fund, which may be partially recoverable via safety net or through tax.

There will be additional garment costs. We are developing partnerships with community organisations and industry to make treatment affordable to those seeking assessment and management. Full cost disclosure will be provided following assessment.

We welcome positive and constructive feedback in order to continuously improve our service. You can leave a message in the feedback box in the reception area, complete our survey, or email us at feedback@mqhealth.org.au.

If you feel your experience with us has been unsatisfactory, please discuss any complaints with us in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with our actions, you can contact either the Health Care Complaints Commissioner on 1800 043 159 or the NSW Ombudsman on 1800 451 524 to discuss your complaint.

Living with lipedema

If you have lipedema, you may be interested in reading more about the condition in the Journal of Wound Care consensus document "Lipoedema: a paradigm shift and consensus". This excerpt is provided by permission of JWC and the full article can be found here.

Article details:
Lipoedema: a paradigm shift and consensus - Tobias Bertsch, Gabriele Erbacher, Rebecca Elwell
J Wound Care. 2020 Nov 1;29(Sup11b):1-51. PMID: 33170068. DOI: 10.12968/jowc.2020.29.Sup11b.1

Copyright MA Healthcare

Website list

Below is a list of important websites for groups involved in lymphoedema care and research.

Living with Lymphoedema

Two of our ALERT patients share their experiences of living with lymphoedema. Click on the clicks below to watch these short vidoes.

Sam

Vicki

ALERT Patient Webinar 2021

Personalising Oedema Management: Lymphoedema, Lipedema and Chronic Oedema'. Held on Monday 21 June 2021.

Watch the webinar here.

ALERT Public Forum 2020

As part of Lymphoedema Awareness Month the ALERT Program held a public forum on Tuesday 3 March 2020.

MC: Louise Koelmeyer, ALERT Director.

  • Acknowledge of country, MQ Health overview and vision — Professor Patrick McNeil.
  • ALERT overview: Our multidisciplinary approach, our 2019 achievements and our 2020 program — Louise Koelmeyer.
  • My journey: The benefit of exercise — Sharne Willoughby.
  • Cutting edge research: What we know about lymphatic drainage — Robbie Blackwell.
  • An update on best practice: Management of chronic oedemas including primary oedema — Kim Toyer.

Watch the presentations here.

Read all the answers to the questions from the Panel Discussion here.

BCNA Webinars
Who cares about lymphoedema?

In recognition of World Lymphoedema Day, ALERT held a free public forum for patients and their families on Monday 5 March 2018. The event consisted of seven short presentations focusing on different aspects of lymphoedema treatment and management.

Chairperson: Professor John Boyages, AM

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