WHAT HAPPENS AT MY FIRST APPOINTMENT?

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When you call Chilton's main rooms you will be given the option of seeing Chilton at any one of his consulting suites.  At the time his friendly medical secretaries will ask you to bring along all your imaging films and your GP referral, if you have one.

 

You will be asked to arrive 10-15 minutes earlier to complete a confidential patient information sheet and hand over your GP referral. 

Patients are most welcome to bring along a close friend of relative for support if they wish.

 

During your consultation Chilton will take a history and perform a physical examination, including any bedside ultrasound or procedures  and also prescribe relevant medications as appropriate.  After the consultation Chilton will then arrange for his friendly medical secretaries to arrange further investigations (such as core biopsies or imaging), specialist referrals as well as any review appointments as necessary.  

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Should you forget to ask anything simply phone or email Chilton's rooms.  

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I'M WORRIED I MIGHT HAVE BREAST CANCER - IS THIS NORMAL?

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Chances are that if you’re reading this, either you or someone you care for, needs to be referred to a breast surgeon because of a suspicious breast lump.  If so it is perfectly natural to feel anxious and fear the worst.  Some of us look for advice from family or friends, others even turn to "Dr Google" to allay our fears.

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Chilton's understands that patients are often scared but many breast lumps are in fact benign (ie: non-cancerous).  Also what diagnosis or treatment may have been the case with a friend or relative often does not apply to you - everyone's case is different.

 

Sadly, some lumps turn out to be breast cancer and need treatment.  While almost all breast cancers that Chilton sees are treatable and curable Chilton knows that a cancer diagnosis is still upsetting.  You will find that Chilton has a caring and patient bedside manner and can explain often complex diagnoses and treatments in plain English that you can understand.

 

From diagnosis, through to treatment and recovery, Chilton will be there every step of the way and assemble for you a trusted treatment team to  make the process more bearable.

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PRIVATE OR PUBLIC HOSPITAL TREATMENT?

 

TO CONSULT WITH CHILTON

Chilton accepts GP referrals for patients to consult at any of his private rooms right across Melbourne's southeast. You do not need private health insurance to consult with Chilton; private health insurance status only affects where you may wish to have your surgery.

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TO HAVE SURGERY WITH CHILTON

If you need surgery Chilton holds both public and private admitting rights to the following hospitals to enable all his patients to be treated regardless of health insurance status.

Private Hospitals

• Mulgrave Private Hospital, Mulgrave

• Waverley Private Hospital, Mt Waverley

• St John of God Hospital, Berwick

• Holmesglen Private Hospital, Moorabbin

 

Public Hospitals (Monash Health)

• Moorabbin Hospital

• Casey Hospital

 

Privately-insured patients
Patients holding private hospital cover continuously for more than twelve months are treated in one of Chilton’s private hospitals on a date of their choosing with no wait-list. Chilton will perform the surgery himself and then personally manage and be contactable for all aftercare via his private rooms.

Uninsured patients

Patients who do not have private health insurance have two options:

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• As a default, uninsured patients have the right to be referred onto the Monash Health public hospital waiting list. Medicare covers the costs of surgery. It is important to disclose that for public patients Chilton may not be present at your surgery and also the date of your surgery is determined by the public hospital. Furthermore since Monash is a teaching hospital a trainee surgeon may perform your operation under the supervision of the consultant surgeon of the day. Aftercare is provided in public clinics.

• Alternatively, if an uninsured patient does not want to wait on a public elective wait list and/or wants to guarantee that Chilton himself performs their surgery they can elect to expedite their surgery in a private hospital on a date of their choosing for a privately quoted fee. In such cases, patients are not obligated to undertake any further surgery or postoperative treatments in private and can switch back to the public setting at any time.