Mitcham Private Hospital would like to introduce you to Dr Rachel Blackshaw, an Australian Orthopaedic Surgeon, nationally and internationally fellowship trained specialising in all facets of upper limb surgery including wrist, hand, arthroscopy and microsurgery.  She is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) and a fellow of the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA – FAOrthA).

Rachel studied Medicine at The University of Melbourne, completing her MBBS degree in 2006 and also has a 1^st class honours in Chemistry, BSc(hons) from Monash University.   Her Orthopaedic training was completed passing the AOA/RACS Fellowship exam in 2018 and becoming a consultant in 2019.

After an initial 12 month Consultant position at Austin Health honing general trauma and elective upper limb skills, she commenced the first of her fellowships locally with The Melbourne Orthopaedic Group (MOG) in 2020, completing 6 months advanced training in upper limb surgery. Her second fellowship was in the United Kingdom with 18 months spent dedicated to hand surgery and peripheral nerve conditions at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEHB) and Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH) in Birmingham.  Rachel also spent 12 months as an Honorary fellow at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BCH).

In addition, Rachel has attended many specialist courses to advance her knowledge in training in sub-specialty areas such as microsurgery, arthroscopy, complex fracture management and peripheral nerve surgery.  She currently holds a public appointment with Eastern Health at Box Hill & Maroondah Hospitals.

Our hands are one of the major ways we interact with the world around us from earliest infancy to senior adulthood.  We explore our surroundings, engage with family, accomplish our work, enjoy our social life and participate in sports & hobbies.  Dr Blackshaw realises that when you have an injury, it is incredibly important to restore function & minimise pain.  She will provide education and insight to your condition and give realistic expectations of how to manage your condition that is specific to your needs and time of life whether surgical treatment is required or not.

Rachel will take referrals for all elective & traumatic presentations of bone, joint, soft tissue & nerve disorders of hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder in both adult & paediatric patients.

Conditions Treated (elective and trauma)

All elective and traumatic presentations of soft tissue, bone and joint disorders of hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder.

• Fractures - wrist, scaphoid, metacarpal, finger, elbow, humerus, clavicle
• Dislocations - finger, wrist, elbow, shoulder, AC joint
• Lacerations - skin, flexor tendons, extensor tendons, nerves, arteries, (microsurgical repair) penetrating joint injuries
• Infection - superficial, cellulitis, abscess, tendon sheath, deep space
• Nerve disorders - Carpal & cubital Tunnel, Guyon’s canal, neuromas, compression syndromes
• Tendinopathies - De Quervain’s, Rheumatoid, EPL, ECU, Trigger Finger, Intersection syndrome
• Arthritis Hand - CMCJ trapeziectomy, MCPJ arthroplasty, DIPJ arthrodesis
• Arthritis Wrist - arthrodesis, limited arthrodesis, prosthetic arthroplasty, excisional arthroplasty, DRUJ, TFCC, arthroscopy
• Lumps & Bumps - Dupuytren’s Disease, Ganglion excision, benign lesions
• Reconstruction - tendon transfers, flexor reconstructions, nerve graft
• Shoulder - Cuff disorders, instability, bursitis, frozen shoulder, arthritis, biceps long head
• Elbow - Tendinopathies, arthritis, loose bodies, distal biceps repair