Practice Areas

It is advisable that patients see a general practitioner for an initial assessment prior to seeing Dr Foster and Dr Wessels. Some medical aids request that a patient must be referred to Dr Foster and Dr Wessels from a general practitioner. However, If a patient suspects the issue is orthopaedic in nature, they are most welcome to make a direct appointment.

Dr Foster and Dr Wessels have payment arrangements with many medical aids. This allows affordable health care to our patients. For the medical aids in which Dr Foster and Dr Wessels don't have a payment arrangement, Dr Foster and Dr Wessels charge out of medical aid rates, which we call private rates. Dr Foster and Dr Wessels are always willing to accommodate patients based on their personal circumstances and offers reductions or discounts if required.

Patients can make an appointment by simply calling our practice on our landline or mobile phone, whereby our friendly practice manager will make an appointment. Patients can also email us or simply click the consultation tab on our website and we will call back to facilitate an appointment at a suitable date or time.

If patients have had joint replacement surgery for arthritis, the prosthetic devices used has a lifespan. Modern joint replacement prosthesis usually last about fifteen to twenty years, on average. If the prosthesis has worn out, patients may require a revision surgery to replace the worn-out prosthesis with a brand new one. Revision surgery is not exclusive to joint replacement surgery. Revision surgery may be required in certain scenarios where a ligament reconstruction was performed and has re-torn, or a previous cartilage occurred and may need to fixed again.

Arthroscopy of the knee uses small incisions around the knee to gain access to the knee. This allows any pathology inside the knee to be diagnosed, visualised and fixed at the time of surgery. By using arthroscopic knee instruments, this prevents having to do a large skin incision over the knee. This results in decreased blood loss, less pain, less infection and a shorter hospital stay.

All patients should be well informed of their diagnosis and treatment plan. If patients have seen other doctors and are uncertain of their condition and would like a second opinion, Dr Foster and Dr Wessels are more than happy to provide further information on the condition and the treatment plan. Dr Foster and Dr Wessels prioritises patient education so that the patient can make an informed decision regarding their treatment plan, therefore, if there is any uncertainty, Dr Foster and Dr Wessels always advises a second opinion.

Dr Foster and Dr Wessels works primarily from Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital and Ribumed day facility. If certain medical aids are not covered by this hospital, Dr Foster and Dr Wessels can make arrangements to do the procedure at a different facility.