David Mitchell has practiced in Ballarat since 2000 after undertaking the Charnley Australian Clinical Research Fellowship in Wrightington, United Kingdom, the home of the Charnley Hip Replacement. By 2003 he had identified a need for rapid recovery surgery, which initially improved the quality and speed of recovery after hip and knee replacement. These techniques have been added to other areas of his surgery such as osteotomies around the knee, and cruciate ligament reconstruction. He is a member of the Australian Knee Society.

In 2000, David was awarded the Charnley Clinical Research Fellowship, and worked under Mike Wroblewski at Wrightington Hospital in England. Wrightington is the spiritual home of hip replacement.  David’s work there included revision hip replacement, and single stage revision hip arthroplasty for infection.  Whilst the discipline & thinking processes remain the same, the mini posterior approach and even anterior approach to the hip for some patients are now used.