Dr Frank Connon

Dr Frank Connon is a Sunshine Coast orthopaedic surgeon with extensive Australian and International training who specialises in muscle-sparing, minimally invasive hip and knee surgery. Dr Connon is the only Sunshine Coast orthopaedic surgeon routinely using muscle-sparing approaches for both hip replacements (direct anterior approach) and knee replacements (subvastus quadriceps-sparing approach). He is also the only orthopaedic surgeon based on the Sunshine Coast with international fellowship training in the Direct Anterior Approach for Total Hip Replacement. As a published author on Surgical Approaches to the Hip, Dr Connon often has local and international surgeons & trainees visiting the Sunshine Coast to learn from him.

After completing his Australian training, Dr Frank Connon was awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Fellowship to undertake a year of further specialist training at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London, UK. Extensive training in the Direct Anterior Approach to Hip Replacement in London and other centres of excellence in Australia, France and the US has given Dr Connon particular expertise with both the Direct Anterior Approach to for Hip Replacement and the Subvastus (Quadriceps-sparing) approach to knee replacement.

Dr Connon’s expertise in hip surgery and particular interest in muscle-sparing surgery led to him being invited to write a book chapter discussing the relative merits of the different surgical approaches to the hip for a leading medical publisher. Whilst he recommends the direct anterior approach for most patients, some have specific circumstances that may necessitate a different approach and Dr Connon strongly believes in bespoke surgery tailored to each patient’s unique circumstances.

Dr Connon was one of the pioneers bringing the quadriceps-sparing (subvastus) approach to knee replacement to the Sunshine Coast and has the most experience with this procedure of any surgeon on the Coast. This technique aims for a faster recovery from knee replacement surgery with less pain and results in a similar final outcome to the traditional approach. Dr Connon is always aided by either Robotic Assistance or Patient Matched Technology for accuracy of implant sizing and positioning. As a result, he has become a respected authority on the latest Knee Replacement techniques to improve the speed and comfort of rehabilitation. Dr Connon is able to advise you on all the latest non-operative and minimally invasive treatment options for knee pain including exercises, injections, radiofrequency ablation and arthroscopic (‘keyhole”) surgery to get you back to enjoying an active lifestyle. He will take time to discuss what options are available and work out with you what is right for your particular circumstances.

Great importance is placed on spending time with his patients so that Dr Connon can offer surgical solutions tailored to their lifestyle and discuss each patient’s options in a caring manner. This helps him to deliver each patient the best possible recovery and long-term outcomes for their individual circumstances.