A south-west Victorian man has received long-overdue hip surgery after his increasing reliance on painkillers put his life at risk. or signup to continue reading Heywood resident Alan Rundell, 69, fell victim to Victoria's record elective surgery wait times, languishing for nine months when he should have been treated within three. But after a series by ACM highlighting shortfalls in the state's healthcare system and Mr Rundell's case in particular, he underwent surgery in late May.
"They said the order came straight from the Premier, on advice from the Health Minister," Mr Rundell said. Mr Rundell had been waiting for hip replacement "revision" surgery. His hip had previously been replaced, but the replacement parts were wearing out.
"When I first saw this orthopaedic surgeon in Ballarat he was that worried about it he said it needed urgent looking at," he said. "The ball on the end of the replaced hip was obviously broken or something was seriously wrong." The maximum wait time for Mr Rundell's surgery was supposed to be 90 days, .
As the pain became worse, he started taking more of his potent opioid painkillers. By April he was just to be able to sleep at night. "When my pharmacist found out he told me I would have to ease off immediately because I was putting myself at serious risk of heart attack or stroke," Mr Rundell said.
"He put me on to an ED doctor who confirmed the maximum amount I'm allowed to take, and it's half what I'd been having." He said he had become "addi.
