Between the rising cost of private health insurance and long wait times for elective surgeries, Australian residents are weighing their options regarding their medical needs. This is why many in need of specific medical procedures are choosing to receive treatment in other countries.

Despite being a healthcare worker herself, Diana Schroff, 63, residing in Australia, went all the way to Lithuania, a country in Europe she was not familiar with, for orthopedic surgery. She was not satisfied with her options in Australia—waiting for up to 24 months in public hospitals and suffering from debilitating pains or paying large amounts at private clinics.

From outdoors enthusiast to chained to the bed

Diana was always confident that her sturdy knees and ankles would support her active outdoor lifestyle until a holiday in Europe last year forced her to cut back on activities. After her left knee suddenly became inflamed, stiff, and locked at a 20-degree angle, she could no longer hike and cycle, while a long flight back to Australia made her knee swell and lock up so much she was yelling in pain.

For five months, neither continuous stretching, nor exercises helped to improve the condition, and her knee mobility was rapidly declining.

“It greatly inhibited my hiking, cycling, motorcycling, and scuba diving, and regaining range of motion was a concern due to my knee being locked in a permanently bent position for months. Even performing basic cleaning around the house was becoming difficult, and it was time to start researching out-of-country options that were more affordable,” Diana said.

Regained range of mobility in a matter of weeks

After starting to look into options at clinics abroad, she came across Nordorthopaedics Clinic, one of the leading international orthopedic clinics for medical tourists in Europe. Persuaded by recent media coverage of the Clinic in Europe and the reviews of former patients, she scheduled left knee arthroscopy surgery four weeks later.

Diana was told she would need a total knee replacement in Australia. Although the Clinic performs hundreds of joint replacement surgeries each year, Arnoldas Sipavičius, orthopedist-traumatologist, pointed out that it was too early for that since she had arthrofibrosis or a stiff knee. Having decided on arthroscopic surgery, which would be enough to treat the condition, the surgeon removed the adhesions found in the suprapatellar bursa, which helped Diana with pain relief and the restoration of the range of motion.

After the surgery, Diana’s knee was rapidly recovering every week, and the restoring range of motion allowed her to start resuming her daily activities. She no longer suffers from debilitating pains, and once the knee is fully healed, there will be no limitations to her active lifestyle.

“Anyone in pain waiting on surgery lists that are many months or years away should seriously consider traveling for treatment. Don’t lose out on precious time to enjoy your life due to a disability in mobility,” Diana added.

Nordorthopaedics performs over 500 orthopedic surgeries per year for foreign patients, and the most common procedures are hip and knee replacements, as well as various arthroscopic surgeries. Medical tourists come from all over the world — the UK, Scandinavian countries, the USA, Canada, Australia, and many others.www.nordorthopaedics.com/en.