Dr Joerg Rhau
Orthopaedic Surgeon

I was born and raised in Germany and studied medicine at the University of Lübeck before completing my specialist orthopaedic training at the Lubinus Clinic in Kiel. It was there that I developed the strong foundation in orthopaedic surgery, trauma management and attention to detail that has remained an important part of the way I practise today.

With our first child on the way, my wife and I returned to Germany, where I rejoined the Lubinus Clinic. Before long, however, we realised how much we missed Australia, its people and its way of life. When the opportunity arose for me to return as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Logan Public Hospital in Queensland, the decision felt right, and we moved to Brisbane as a family.

After gaining Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS), I established my private practice while continuing to work as a Visiting Medical Officer at Logan Public Hospital. Over the years my practice has increasingly focused on the area I am most passionate about: surgery of the shoulder and upper limb, including conditions affecting the shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand.

I am now in full-time private practice, with Greenslopes Private Hospital forming the main base for my surgical work. I consult at Greenslopes, in the Logan area, Cleveland and Mackay, allowing me to care for patients from across South-East Queensland as well as regional Queensland. I operate primarily at Greenslopes Private Hospital, as well as Ramsay Surgical Centre Cleveland and Mackay Specialist Day Hospital.

Medicine and surgery never stand still, and I believe that continuing to learn is an essential part of being a surgeon. I remain actively involved in teaching and training through the Greenslopes Upper Limb and Technology Fellowship and continue to participate in research within upper limb surgery. I enjoy being part of the exchange of ideas between surgeons and contributing to the development of the next generation of orthopaedic specialists.

For me, however, being a surgeon is about much more than identifying an injury on a scan and deciding whether an operation is required.

One of the parts of my work I value most is getting to know the person behind the injury. The same shoulder, elbow or wrist problem can have a very different impact depending on someone's work, family life, sport and personal goals. Taking the time to understand what a patient needs to get back to is an important part of deciding how best to treat them.

Surgery is not always the answer. I believe patients should understand their condition, the options available to them and the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. My role is to listen, explain and provide my experience and advice so that we can make a decision together that is appropriate for that individual patient.

I consider it a privilege to be trusted with someone's care. Few things in my professional life are more rewarding than seeing a patient regain their function, return to the activities that matter to them and recover a quality of life that had been taken away by injury or disease.

Outside medicine, life is equally busy. My wife and I have two daughters whose passion for showjumping keeps the whole family closely involved with horses and the equestrian world.

When I have some time of my own, I am usually happiest being active and outdoors. Windsurfing has been a lifelong passion, and whenever the conditions are right there is a good chance I will be out on the water. More recently, my enthusiasm for learning new skills has led me into wing foiling. On land, I enjoy both road cycling and mountain biking.

Perhaps the German part of me still brings a certain love of precision to what I do, while nearly two decades in Australia have taught me the value of keeping things practical, relaxed and straightforward. I aim to bring both to my patients: careful, considered orthopaedic care delivered in a friendly and approachable way, with the patient involved in every important decision along the way.

Dr Rhau's affiliations:

• Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS)
• Fellow of the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA)
• Fellow of the Shoulder and Elbow Society of Australia (SESA)
• Member of the Queensland Shoulder Society (QSS)
• Member of the Queensland Hand Surgery Society (QHSS)
• Member of the Australian Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons (ASOS)

Dr Rhau is a senior lecturer at the University of Queensland.