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Foot and ankle surgery in Australia

Discussion in 'Australia' started by NewsBot, Oct 30, 2007.

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  1. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

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    Types of surgery done by podiatric surgeons in Australia

    Prevalence and type of foot surgery performed in Australia: A clinical review
    Paul J. Bennett
    The Foot
    Volume 17, Issue 4, December 2007, Pages 197-204

     
  2. DaVinci

    DaVinci Well-Known Member

    Re: Types of surgery done by podiatric surgeons in Australia

    Paul, if you are about, what were the numbers on rearfoot surgery?
     
  3. JFAR

    JFAR Active Member

    Foot and ankle surgery in Australia: a descriptive analysis of the Medicare Benefits Schedule database, 1997-2006

    Hylton B Menz , Mark F Gilheany and Karl B Landorf

    Journal of Foot and Ankle Research 2008, 1:10doi:10.1186/1757-1146-1-10

    Published: 15 September 2008

    Abstract (provisional)

    Background
    Foot and ankle problems are highly prevalent in the general community and a substantial proportion of people seek surgical treatment to alleviate foot pain and deformity. However, the epidemiology of foot and ankle surgery has not been examined in detail. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine patterns and costs of private sector foot surgery provision in Australia.

    Methods
    Data pertaining to all foot and ankle surgical procedures for the calendar years 1997-2006 were extracted from the Australian Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) database and were cross-tabulated by sex and age. Descriptive analyses were undertaken to assess sex and age differences in the number and type of procedures performed and to assess for temporal trends over the ten year assessment period. The total cost to Medicare of subsiding surgeons' fees in 2006 was also determined.

    Results
    During the 1997-2006 period, 996,477 surgical procedures were performed on the foot and ankle by private surgeons in Australia. Approximately equal numbers of procedures were performed on males (52%) and females (48%). However, males were more likely to undergo toenail, ankle, clubfoot, tarsal coalition and congenital vertical talus surgery, whereas females were more likely to undergo lesser toe, first metatarsophalangeal joint (MPJ), neuroma, heel, rearfoot and lesser MPJ surgery. The total number of procedures was stable over the assessment period, however there was a relative increase in the number of procedures performed on people aged over 55 years. The total contribution of Medicare to subsiding surgeons' fees for procedures performed in 2006 was $14M.

    Conclusions
    Foot and ankle surgery accounts for a considerable degree of healthcare expenditure in Australia, and the number of procedures in those aged over 55 years is increasing. Given the ageing demographics of the Australian population, the future public health and economic impact of foot morbidity is likely to be substantial. Strategies need to be implemented to ensure that the surgical labour force is adequate to address this increasing demand.
     
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