Traveling for Surgery

Dr. Chahla commonly works with patients traveling from out of state for his care. Approximately 20% of Dr. Chahla’s practice consists of patients traveling to the Chicagoland area for his minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures, approach to overall joint preservation, and reduced post-operative recovery time that accelerates his patients’ return to the activities they love.

Yes, and we appreciate the value you place in Dr. Chahla’s opinion and consultation. To begin the process of submitting clinical information/imaging prior to a scheduled office visit, please contact Dr. Chahla’s administrative team at 312.432.2531 or chahlaadmin@rushortho.com.

Dr. Chahla also performs virtual clinical case and imaging review for patients seeking a second opinion without scheduling an in-person consultation with Dr. Chahla. Dr. Chahla welcomes this request for a fee of $300.00. Please note that this fee will not be billed to insurance, nor will it be applicable towards any future service with our office. Again, please contact Dr. Chahla’s administrative team at the contact information above to learn more about this process, obtain a packet that you will be asked to complete, and receive instructions for submitting medical records to be reviewed. Additional information is also available at the following link: Clinical Case/Imaging Review.

Patients traveling to Chicago for surgery with Dr. Chahla have two options:

Option 1:

Includes two trips to Chicago with the option for a potential third trip.

• 1^st Trip: Initial Consultation with Dr. Chahla
• 2^nd Trip: Surgery and Initial Post-Operative Visit/Suture Removal
• Optional 3^rd Trip: Follow-up Appointment at a later date agreed upon with Dr. Chahla if needed based off of progress during initial 3 months following surgery.

Option 2

Includes one trip to Chicago with the option for a potential second  trip.

• Only Trip: Pre-operative In-person Office Visit with Dr. Chahla, Surgery, and Initial Post-Operative Visit/Suture Removal
  • Note: This option typically involves a virtual initial consultation with Dr. Chahla. The pre-operative in-person office visit allows Dr. Chahla to perform a physical examination and confirm diagnosis/surgical plan.
• Optional 2^nd Trip: Follow-up Appointment at a later date agreed upon with Dr. Chahla if needed based off of progress during initial 3 months following surgery.

For most of Dr. Chahla’s surgical procedures, it is recommended that you begin physical therapy 1-2 days following your surgery. This recommendation will be confirmed and discussed extensively with you at the time of your consultation with Dr. Chahla, surgery sign-up with Dr. Chahla’s administrative team, pre-operative phone consultation with one of Dr. Chahla’s Physician Assistants, and in your post-operative instructions. Dr. Chahla recommends that you begin physical therapy per your procedure’s post-operative protocol during your stay while in Chicago.

After traveling home, you can then transition to attending physical therapy at a local facility in your hometown. Dr. Chahla strongly recommends coordinating your hometown physical therapy as soon as you confirm your surgical date and travel itinerary. Due to medical licensing, some states will require a physical therapy order from a local healthcare provider. This can sometimes take time to obtain. Therefore, please contact your preferred local physical therapist as soon as possible to confirm.

List of the physical therapy facilities

If you are flying home, Dr. Chahla prefers for you to stay in Chicago/Chicagoland area for at least 2 weeks following your surgery. Some exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis depending on the procedure performed, length of flight home, and any co-morbidities that may further increase the risk of blood clot following surgery.

If you are driving more than 6 hours home after surgery, you will need to stay in Chicago/Chicagoland area for 48 hours due to increased risk of post-operative blood clot associated with driving long distance. Additionally, Dr. Chahla will ask that you stop for frequent breaks during your drive home.