Mr Balakumar sees patients from infancy through to adulthood, across the full spectrum of hip and knee conditions. Whether you have been referred with a specific diagnosis or are still working out what is causing your symptoms, the first appointment is about understanding your situation clearly before anything else.
You will be asked to complete a new patient registration form and a hip questionnaire at your first appointment. Downloading and completing these in advance can save time on the day. If you have any questions before your appointment, feel free to reach out to the team.
(03) 9573 9659
For patients attending with a hip condition, a hip questionnaire helps Mr Balakumar build a more complete picture of your symptoms before you arrive. It covers pain location, activity levels, functional limitations and history. It is recommended that you complete and return this by email ahead of your appointment.
Every patient is assessed thoroughly. Mr Balakumar takes a full history including birth history, family history of hip conditions and a detailed account of your current symptoms. This is followed by a physical examination and review of any existing imaging.
Where further investigations are needed, he will arrange these before making any treatment recommendation. Assessment is not a step toward surgery. It is the basis for an honest, informed conversation about your options.
The videos on this page are provided through Melbourne Orthopaedic Group and cover a range of hip and knee conditions and procedures. Each video is designed to help patients understand what a condition involves, what a surgical procedure looks like, and what to expect from treatment. Watching these before your consultation can help you arrive with a clearer picture of your situation and better questions to ask. If anything raises a concern or you would like more information about a specific procedure, contact Mr Balakumar’s rooms directly.
Mr Balakumar is one of a small number of surgeons in Australia with formal training in both paediatric and adult hip surgery. His fellowship at Harvard’s Children’s Hospital in Boston, under some of the world’s leading specialists in hip preservation, gives him a depth of expertise that is difficult to find in a single practice.
His approach is the same whether the patient is 6 months or 65 years old – thorough assessment, honest options, and no pressure toward surgery until the clinical picture clearly supports it.
(03) 9573 9659
