The name of Dr Zilko was mentioned to me through a former colleague of mine who was one of Dr Zilko’s patients. I had my 1st consultation with Dr Zilko 3 days ago, and my experience confirmed my former colleague’s summery of him: “A good professional!” Right from my 1st phone call to Dr Zilko’s office in January to completing the consultation, I experienced care and attention to detail from his staff and him in every stage.

After my appointment making phone call, I received communication from Dr Zilko’s secretary who told me that the x-ray I have on file is too old and referrals for x-ray and MRI from Dr Zilko have sent to me, and needed to be done before attending my appointment. Receiving referrals from a specialist before seeing him was a new experience to me! He could do it like other specialists I saw before, give me the referral for imaging at my 1st consultation, and tell me to see him again after I had it done, but he choose to do what is cost effective to patients and also to the taxpayers/Medicare.

When sitting in front of surgeons (I had a several surgeries in the past), the healthy fear/respect I have towards them makes me forgetting or giving up asking questions, especially when their diagnostic talks are full of medical terminologies/jargons. As if understood how I felt Dr Zilko pointed out the problematic areas showing up on the MRI and explained to me in simplistic terms what causes these problems and pain I experiencing. He then gave me chance to ask questions. I had highlighted some words and sentences on the diagnostic imaging report that I had bought with me, and asked him what they all meant. With the aid of an anatomical model and referring to the MRI at the same time, Dr Zilko explained to me in detail on things that matters and things that don’t to my pain. Whenever I felt awkward, he would put me into easy. Before seeing Dr Zilko, I was only given one surgical option by two different surgeons, now I know two and Dr Zilko explained to me the advantages and disadvantages of each, and reasons he prefers one from the other in my case.

Yes, he was a bit late in seeing me, but I believe he was held up by other patient related business because from the way he treated me, he is the type of doctor who would do everything in his power to do the right thing for his patients.

I saw Dr Zilko for the first time around June 2020 to consult on a calcaneonavicular tarsal coalition, from the first appointment until my last pre op appointment he and his staff have been fantastic, I was made to feel unrushed and free to ask any questions I may have, his staff are incredibly responsive to emails and phone calls. I have nothing but positive things to say about my experience