Surgery outside the UK.....anyone had it?
Discussion
So 1 day into our holiday (feb 19th) I have an argument with an Italian Mountain and not unsurprisingly it won....
My knee collapsed completely from under me and the initial diagnosis is that the Medial ligament was broken with possible further damage to the cruciate ligament. I didn't cry with the pain.....that was a piece of grit in my eye...;).
The Italian hospital drained some fluid off,took xrays (no breaks) and put me in an open-kneed cast to allow me to fly home on Feb 25th. The whole leg started to swell up to twice normal proportions so I was back at the hospital within 4 days where they then checked for a DVT. All clear thankfully.
We're now home in the UK and have been out to the local A+E where they did another set of xrays and told me they too will be doing a DVT scan. I'm informed that I'll need an MRI scan on the knee before they can assess what surgery is required but the waiting list for an MRI is 4-6 weeks! It could then be a further 4-6 weeks before surgery and a further 8 weeks before I'm mobile again.
Needless to say this will have a huge impact on my life in 2009 so I'm wondering if taking £5K and heading off to a specialist clinic in Eastern Europe for a month might be a better idea?
Anyone gone down this route or have any recommendations?
Thanks in advance!
Al
My knee collapsed completely from under me and the initial diagnosis is that the Medial ligament was broken with possible further damage to the cruciate ligament. I didn't cry with the pain.....that was a piece of grit in my eye...;).
The Italian hospital drained some fluid off,took xrays (no breaks) and put me in an open-kneed cast to allow me to fly home on Feb 25th. The whole leg started to swell up to twice normal proportions so I was back at the hospital within 4 days where they then checked for a DVT. All clear thankfully.
We're now home in the UK and have been out to the local A+E where they did another set of xrays and told me they too will be doing a DVT scan. I'm informed that I'll need an MRI scan on the knee before they can assess what surgery is required but the waiting list for an MRI is 4-6 weeks! It could then be a further 4-6 weeks before surgery and a further 8 weeks before I'm mobile again.
Needless to say this will have a huge impact on my life in 2009 so I'm wondering if taking £5K and heading off to a specialist clinic in Eastern Europe for a month might be a better idea?
Anyone gone down this route or have any recommendations?
Thanks in advance!
Al
audidoody said:
£5k will probably cover the scan, consultant, and arthroscopy fees in the UK.
You think? I had a complete idiots view that we'd be talking a great deal more to go private in the UK. Think I'll give my local private hospital a call this morning. Cheers for that...that's lightened me mood!rhinochopig said:
I had a private spinal MRI - cost ~ 180-200 IIRC. and reduced my wait by 6 weeks.
Did you arrange through your GP first matey or just go independantly and return to the NHS with the results? I have a mate that is saying that even if I go private on the MRI the waiting list for the subsequent NHS surgical-procedure would not be shortened.... 
Thanks massively to everyone for the input and effort.
Pistonheads - 'Knowing s
t Matters' 
I'm going to see how quickly the NHS system moves this week and act from there. I've had a call this morning to say they will call me later with an appointment for the ultrasound ....so that's encouraging to start with!
Again thanks to all.
(never been to Poznan!....
.)
Pistonheads - 'Knowing s
t Matters' I'm going to see how quickly the NHS system moves this week and act from there. I've had a call this morning to say they will call me later with an appointment for the ultrasound ....so that's encouraging to start with!
Again thanks to all.
(never been to Poznan!....
.) 
ALawson said:
Stablelad said:
Costing variations for an MRI seem to be commonplace. 1st private clinic quoted me £750, 2nd £875 and 3rd £450. 3rd also comes recommended from a friend who, like me, treats his body as if it was still in it's 20's. Which in our case they most definitely ain't!
Just out of interest where are you based?Update for those that are interested...
Went to the hospital for them to have a further check today. They have 'misplaced' my file! Doctor in the Orthopedic section saw me anyhow. They then sent me for more xrays...the same ones they took on Saturday!!
They want to do more ultrasound ( will be my 3rd) and they are adamant that there is no way of shortening the 4-6 weeks for the crucial MRI scan on the knee nor is there any way of shortening the subsequent 12-18 weeks wait time on any necessary surgical procedure that the MRI results dictate are necessary.
As I left the unit I made a decision.....
There's no way I could stand to wait up to 16-24 weeks for the all-important operation that will allow me to walk again. Nor do I want to get driven mad by the bureaucratic myopia of the NHS system. They can smile widely and call me 'Sir' all they like but it means st when they expect you to hobble about for months waiting on getting your life back. So it's Private Health Care and the necessary costs involved for me. Off to see the top Orthopedic Surgeon/knee specialist in Glasgow tomorrow afternoon and he has already arranged for an MRI while I'm there.
It's a sad thought that all the tax/NI I've paid over 25 years supports such a questionable process. The NHS people have mostly been really nice (including the nurse that told me she herself has Private Medical insurance!)however I'm just not prepared to wait. What if I did and they lost my fookin' file again???
Went to the hospital for them to have a further check today. They have 'misplaced' my file! Doctor in the Orthopedic section saw me anyhow. They then sent me for more xrays...the same ones they took on Saturday!!
They want to do more ultrasound ( will be my 3rd) and they are adamant that there is no way of shortening the 4-6 weeks for the crucial MRI scan on the knee nor is there any way of shortening the subsequent 12-18 weeks wait time on any necessary surgical procedure that the MRI results dictate are necessary.
As I left the unit I made a decision.....
There's no way I could stand to wait up to 16-24 weeks for the all-important operation that will allow me to walk again. Nor do I want to get driven mad by the bureaucratic myopia of the NHS system. They can smile widely and call me 'Sir' all they like but it means s
t when they expect you to hobble about for months waiting on getting your life back. So it's Private Health Care and the necessary costs involved for me. Off to see the top Orthopedic Surgeon/knee specialist in Glasgow tomorrow afternoon and he has already arranged for an MRI while I'm there.It's a sad thought that all the tax/NI I've paid over 25 years supports such a questionable process. The NHS people have mostly been really nice (including the nurse that told me she herself has Private Medical insurance!)however I'm just not prepared to wait. What if I did and they lost my fookin' file again???
Edited by Stablelad on Tuesday 3rd March 17:35
Edited by Stablelad on Tuesday 3rd March 17:36
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