Meet the doctor: Dr Nick Calvert

What is your area of practice?

I am an orthopaedic surgeon specialising in partial and total knee replacement, total hip replacement and revision joint replacement.

The two key areas of my practice are muscle sparing primary arthroplasty to improve early recovery and the management of failed arthroplasty. A large proportion of my practice is managing prosthetic joint infection, the leading cause of arthroplasty failure.

In addition, I cover orthopaedic major trauma at Royal Perth Hospital (RPH), where I provide complex care for patients with life changing injuries.

I have also established a combined Orthopaedic and Infectious Diseases multidisciplinary team at RPH to help improve the care of complex bone and joint infections.

I am currently undertaking a PhD at UWA focused on improving functional outcomes and reducing pain following knee reconstruction and replacement.

Where did you train?

I completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree at UWA before completing pre-vocational training at RPH and then commencing orthopaedic training in WA. I also completed a Masters of Surgery.

Later I completed subspecialist training at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, part of Oxford University Hospitals Trust in the United Kingdom. My fellowship focused on primary hip and knee arthroplasty, revision hip and knee arthroplasty, and bone infection with internationally renowned surgeons.

During this time, I had the privilege of learning the surgical technique of the Oxford Partial Knee Arthroplasty from the world experts on its use. Alongside my training I have published peer-reviewed articles and I’m a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

I completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree at UWA before completing pre-vocational training at RPH and then commencing orthopaedic training in WA. I also completed a Masters of Surgery.

My aim is that referring to me makes your job easier, not harder.

What procedural services do you offer?

My key area of focus is primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty. I offer direct anterior approach total hip arthroplasty and subvastus approach total knee. Both approaches offer preservation of muscle attachments to assist in early recovery protocols.

I have a public appointment at RPH. Privately I am a partner of Perth Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Centre and operate at Hollywood Private Hospital.

My full range of services includes total hip replacement, total and partial knee replacement, revision total hip and total knee arthroplasty orthopaedic trauma, and prosthetic joint infection.

What can referring practitioners expect?

My aim is that referring to me makes your job easier, not harder.

Timely access: All referrals are triaged on receipt. Urgent problems – acute trauma, suspected infection – are seen within 1-2 weeks. Even for routine presentation we can facilitate early review if the patient is having problems.

Correspondence that arrives before your patient does: You’ll receive a letter after all consultations, after any procedure, and at discharge from my care. Letters state the diagnosis, what was discussed, what was decided and why.

A conversation, not just a referral: You’re welcome to call me to discuss a patient before referring, including to work out whether a referral is needed at all. Feel free to give my rooms a call and they’ll put you through.

Referrals outside my area: Perth Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Centre is proud to offer specialists covering most orthopaedic complaints. If a referral would be better handled by a colleague, I’ll say so and, where appropriate, arrange the redirection myself rather than sending it back to you.

Investigations before referral: Send what you have. Plain films are useful; advanced imaging generally isn’t required before an opinion, and I’d prefer your patient not incur the cost of a scan that may not change management.