From Buenos Aires To Bowral :: Meet This Wonderful Orthopaedic Surgeon.

What started as a visit to Australia to gain more medical experience and do a bit of travelling turned into settling into the Southern Highlands with a young family and opening an orthopaedic practice! 

Dr Martin Di Nallo probably had no idea that was on the cards in 2015 when he arrived from Argentina ready to experience life in Australia. 

But we’re glad it’s worked out that way because it means we now have another medical specialist and orthopaedic surgeon in the area to turn to if we need to. 

Meet Dr Di Nallo and follow his journey from Buenos Aires to Bowral [via Bordeaux!].

1 :: You’re from Argentina originally. Where did you grow up?

I grew up in a small town on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

2 :: Did you always want to be in medicine?

Since I was a young child, I knew I wanted to do something in medicine. I was always looking for ways to help people. But I didn’t know what area.

I had a wonderful mentor growing up – he was a local paediatrician and one of the well-known doctors in town.

He was such a great human being and worked for Médecins Sans Frontières. I really looked up to him and he inspired me to study medicine.

3 :: But you didn’t become a paediatrician.

No, I did my medical degree and then did orthopaedics.

4 :: What led you towards orthopaedics? 

I played a lot of sport when I was growing up – rugby, soccer, basketball, anything I could, really.

I have always been interested in sport, and sport and orthopaedics go really well together. 

I was a bit of a frequent flyer myself in the orthopaedics rooms, so I can say that I’m speaking from experience!

5 :: Tell us about when you worked in New York.

I got a three-month placement at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, which is one of the most important Orthopaedic hospitals in the United States. This consisted of training and research, and I was able to shadow and learn from surgeons at the top of their career. 

Living and working in New York blew my mind and really broadened my horizons and outlook on life. It was such a great experience.

6 :: And how did you end up in Australia?

There was a doctor I knew from Argentina who had trained with an Australian doctor in the US. 

The Australian health care system is very different to the Americas. I’d heard great things about Australia and I’m a bit of an explorer, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to see somewhere different and learn in a different healthcare system.

So I arrived here in 2015.

7 :: Did you travel or work or both to start with?

Both. 

I got a placement in Sydney before flying to Australia and worked on the northside in hospitals like the Mater and Royal North Shore Private and Public. 

Then I went on what I call my Great Australian Tour and worked in regional Victoria and North Queensland. It was a great way to experience more of Australia. 

After that, I came back to Sydney and finished my qualifications.

8 :: And that’s when you moved to the Highlands?

Correct. My original plan was to come to Australia, get some experience and then move back to Argentina but by then I’d met my now wife, Hannah. 

Things became quite serious, so I stayed in Australia, and we moved to the Highlands where Hannah had family.

9 :: Now, there’s four of you!

Yes, we have a daughter called Sofia and a son called Matteo. Wanting to raise a family in the country was a big part of why we moved to the Highlands. 

I grew up in a small town and while we both love the city, we really wanted to be part of a community when we had a family.

I want our children to have the same experience I had when I was younger.

10 :: So, tell us more about Di Nallo Orthopaedics. 

We’re based in Spingett’s Arcade in Bowral, and we opened in May 2020. 

We started working in Goulburn a couple of years ago too. I work in both sectors – private and public. 

I see patients of all ages and all backgrounds. 

Many of my younger patients are dealing with sports injuries, such as ACL tears or ankle sprains. 

Then there are patients in their 30’s to 50’s who may have some degenerative conditions or have been lugging around a sports injury for 10-15 years that is finally starting to impede them. 

I also see senior patients who have more complex issues, such as flatfoot deformity, or something quite simple they need help with.

11 :: And it’s from the knee down for you, isn’t it? 

Yes, I deal with mostly foot, ankle and knee injuries and conditions. 

I focus more on joint preserving techniques, rather than joint replacement. But saying that, if anyone has reached the end of the stage and the only answer is a replacement or fusion, then that’s what I will propose.

12 :: You’ve also been trained in a highly skilled mini-invasive foot surgery technique too. 

That’s right. I went to France in February 2020 and trained with the team of doctors who developed many specialised mini-invasive foot surgery techniques. 

Foot surgery is something I learnt in Argentina and also in Australia but going to France and learning from the team who actually invented the techniques really allowed me to polish my edges, so to speak. 

It’s like when you learn how to drive, you know the fundamentals. But when you learn how to drive from a racing car driver, your skills are much better and more specialised.

13 :: That’s a great analogy! So, where do you operate? 

I operate privately in Bowral, Shellharbour, Wollongong and Sydney.

I also operate in Goulburn Base Hospital, which allows me to provide services to public patients. 

14 :: What’s next for Di Nallo Orthopaedics? 

The main goal is to provide the best possible orthopaedic service to patients in the Southern Highlands. 

I take a holistic approach to patient care. 

I have great connections with many other specialists like physio’s and podiatrists in the area, so between us all, the goal is to triage anyone with an injury as quickly as we can and work together to give them the best possible care. 

A long-term goal for me is to create a specialised centre for people with sports injuries.

There is plenty of people playing sport in the Highlands – we’ve got everything here from soccer to netball to rugby to hockey and more – which means there are plenty of people with injuries too.

I have been able to perform foot and knee procedures never done in the area. In fact, I did the first ankle replacement to be done in the Highlands. 

15 :: Do you still play sport? 

Not as much as I used to.

I play soccer occasionally and I played touch footy with some of the Bowral Blacks rugby guys. I’m slowly taking up golf. 

I love rugby but I don’t play anymore. The last time I played, I had an injury and that forced me to stop.

Better to stick to this side of the fence!

16 :: Now that you’ve settled in the Highlands with Hannah and the kids, tell us what you love about living here and running your own practice in the Southern Highlands? 

It’s so green and beautiful here. It’s such a special place. 

We love the close relationships we’ve made with people in the area, both in and out of work. 

There is so much to do outside, we are ticking off all the fantastic walks around the Highlands. 

We really enjoy living here. We have moved to East Bowral, and we know our neighbours. We love going on family walks around the neighbourhood – it’s so quiet and everyone says hello to each other. 

Regarding my practice, personally, it feels great to be back in a small community, being part of it and providing a service to the members. 

I have come full circle.

Di Nallo Orthopaedics is in Springett’s Arcade, Bowral.

The practice is fully equipped and staffed by a skilful team, here to help you with all aspects of your treatment, from the initial consultation through to coordination of any referral and surgery that may be required, followed up by a comprehensive after care service. 

Get in touch with Dr Di Nallo and his team today by calling 4801 0474 and have a look at the website for more information.

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