Centre for Limb Lengthening & Reconstruction

The Centre for Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction is based at the Epworth Centre, Epworth Hospital, Richmond in Melbourne. The Centre is conveniently located near the corner of Punt Road and Bridge Road, Richmond, across the MCG, less than 10 minutes drive from the Melbourne CBD. It is easily accessed by tram, train, bus or car. Adult and adolescent surgery is performed at the Epworth Hospital Richmond Campus, which also the largest private rehabilitation facility on-site, including hydrotherapy, with nursing and physiotherapy staff with special training managing patients with external fixators. Our surgical team consists of pain management specialists and Ilizarov trained nurses with international experience.

The Centre offers a wide range of services in deformity correction and limb lengthening for congenital and acquired conditions, as well as post trauma deformity correction and limb equalisation. We specialise in managing complex trauma and its sequalae including non-union and mal-unions. We also manage bone and joint infections, including osteomyelitis and infected non-unions.

Prof Patel uses both traditional Ilizarov methods, specialising in the use of the computer guided Taylor Spatial Frame, as well as hybrid techniques of fixator assisted nailing (FAN) and plating (FAP), and lengthening over a nail (LON), and intra-medullary lengthening devices such as the ISKD and now the Fitbone.

The Centre for Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction will be the first centre outside Adelaide, and only the second site in Australia to offer the advanced Fitbone electronic intra-medullary lengthener which offer precise control of the daily lengthening rate. The Centre also aims to be the first in Australia to offer the Precise Magnetic Lengthener from Ellipse Technologies later this year.
We also run a Ponseti Club Foot Clinic, the first of its kind in a private hospital, in conjunction with orthotic specialists from Orthopaedic Appliances (OAPL).

Our staff include a Limb Reconstruction Fellow, hospital nurse practitioners and a practice manager with 10 years experience guiding and mentoring patients through their limb reconstruction treatment.

Thank you for visiting us.