Orthopaedic Surgeon Sydney
Expert in Mako RoboticHip & Knee Replacement
Dr John Limbers is a Sydney orthopaedic surgeon focused on hip and knee arthritis and joint replacement. He consults at The San Clinic in Wahroonga on Sydney’s Upper North Shore and performs surgery at Sydney Adventist Hospital on the same campus.
Dr John Limbers
MBBS (Hons 1) · BSc (Med) · FRACS · FAOrthA
Experience
25+ years
of orthopaedic surgical experience
Hip & knee replacements
5,000+
completed
Mako robotic procedures
3,000+
Mako robotic-assisted hip and knee replacements
Consulting in Sydney
His practice is deliberately narrow.
Rather than covering general orthopaedics, Dr Limbers now concentrates on Mako robotic-assisted anterior hip replacement, partial and total knee replacement, and selected revision hip and knee replacement. This focus also includes the non-surgical assessment of arthritis and advice about when surgery is – and is not – appropriate.
Dr Limbers has more than 25+ years of orthopaedic surgical experience and has completed more than 5,000+ hip and knee replacements, including more than 3,000+ Mako robotic-assisted procedures. He also consults on the Central Coast at North Gosford and Kanwal.
The practice welcomes privately insured patients, self-funded uninsured patients and eligible DVA patients. Workers Compensation and CTP insurance patients are not currently accepted.
About Dr Limbers
Dr Limbers graduated from the University of New South Wales with First Class Honours and completed orthopaedic surgical training in Sydney through the Australian Orthopaedic Association program.
He then undertook subspecialty fellowship training in hip and knee replacement at Addenbrooke’s University Hospital in Cambridge and Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital in Dublin.
He was the first surgeon in New South Wales to perform a Mako robotic total knee replacement outside pre-release clinical assessments and was among the first Australian surgeons to perform Mako robotic-assisted anterior total hip replacement. He is a former Australian Orthopaedic Association Director of Training and a contributor to the RASKAL randomised trial of robotic-assisted knee replacement.
Key Orthopaedic Surgical Experience
A hip and knee practice, built on volume.
More than 25+ years of orthopaedic surgical experience
More than 5,000+ hip and knee replacements
More than 3,000+ Mako robotic-assisted hip and knee replacements
Among the first Australian surgeons to adopt Mako robotic-assisted anterior hip replacement
Experience with functional hip planning and spinopelvic assessment
Dr Limbers’ current practice is intentionally concentrated on hip and knee arthritis and joint replacement. For a patient looking for a hip surgeon on the Central Coast, that means the assessment, surgical planning and rehabilitation pathway are built around a narrow area of subspecialty practice rather than general orthopaedics.
Areas of Expertise
What Dr Limbers treats.
- Mako assisted
Anterior Total Hip Replacement
Hip replacement through a muscle-sparing anterior approach.
- Mako assisted
Total Knee Replacement
Full knee replacement using robotic-arm assistance.
- Mako assisted
Partial Knee Replacement
Resurfacing only the damaged compartment of the knee.
- Mako assisted
Revision Total Hip Replacement
Replacing a previous hip replacement.
- Mako assisted
Revision Total Knee Replacement
Replacing a previous knee replacement.
Osteoarthritis & Non-Surgical Options
Assessment, and the treatments that come before surgery.
Assessment of painful or failed previous joint replacements
Mako robotic-arm assisted
A CT-based plan, executed with precision.
Explore the full list of procedures.
View All Services
Hip and Knee Arthritis in Sydney
Most patients referred to Dr Limbers are seeking help for osteoarthritis rather than an acute injury.
Hip and knee arthritis commonly develops gradually, with pain, stiffness and loss of confidence or mobility becoming more important than the appearance of an X-ray alone.
For Sydney patients, the first consultation is therefore an assessment rather than an assumption that surgery will be required. Dr Limbers reviews symptoms, function, weight-bearing imaging, previous treatment and general health. Exercise, weight management where relevant, medication and other non-operative options are considered before joint replacement is discussed.
When arthritis is substantially affecting sleep, walking, work or everyday activities despite appropriate non-surgical care, replacement may become reasonable. The operation is then selected according to the joint and pattern of disease: anterior total hip replacement for advanced hip arthritis, partial knee replacement for suitable single-compartment disease, or total knee replacement when arthritis is more extensive.
About Mako Robotic Surgery
Mako robotic-arm assisted surgery uses a CT-based three-dimensional model to support planning and execution of selected hip and knee replacement procedures.
It is a surgeon-controlled system: Dr Limbers makes the decisions and performs the operation, while the robotic arm helps him prepare bone within the boundaries of the plan.
In the knee, robotic assistance can be combined with intraoperative assessment of alignment and ligament tension. In the hip, it assists with component positioning and functional planning that takes account of the relationship between the hip, pelvis and spine.
The technology improves the accuracy with which a planned implant position can be reproduced. It does not guarantee a better outcome for every patient, and clinical results still depend on diagnosis, anatomy, general health, implant selection, surgical judgement and rehabilitation.
About Sydney Adventist Hospital for Orthopaedic Surgery
Dr Limbers performs his Sydney surgery at Sydney Adventist Hospital, commonly known as the San, in Wahroonga.
The hospital’s San Bone & Joint service provides dedicated orthopaedic facilities and Mako robotic-arm assisted technology for hip and knee replacement.
The orthopaedic service includes private ensuite rooms on the orthopaedic ward and an enhanced recovery pathway for hip and knee replacement. The San’s prehabilitation program provides education before surgery, including preparation for the hospital stay, exercises and planning for discharge home.
For patients who require further rehabilitation, the hospital offers inpatient and day rehabilitation, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy. Its purpose-designed rehabilitation unit includes a physiotherapy gymnasium, activities-of-daily-living facilities and access to the hospital’s hydrotherapy pool.
The value of a large private hospital environment is not that every patient needs every service, but that support is available if the recovery is more complex than expected. The final rehabilitation plan remains individual to the patient and the procedure.
Consulting Locations
In Sydney
Wahroonga
The San Clinic
Suite 403, Level 4, 185 Fox Valley Road
Wahroonga NSW 2076
Operating Locations
Where Dr Limbers operates
Sydney Adventist Hospital (the SAN)
185 Fox Valley Rd, Wahroonga NSW 2076
Dr Limbers' principal operating hospital in Northern Sydney.
(02) 9480 9111Gosford Private Hospital
Burrabil Ave, North Gosford NSW 2250
Private surgery for Central Coast patients.
(02) 4324 7111
Book an Appointment Today
Appointments are available at Wahroonga on Sydney’s Upper North Shore, with surgery performed at Sydney Adventist Hospital when appropriate. Dr Limbers also consults at North Gosford and Kanwal on the Central Coast.
For Sydney appointment enquiries, call 0498 260 549. The practice welcomes privately insured patients, self-funded patients and eligible DVA patients.