Last February 2013, I had hip surgery in Spain. Through my insurer VGZ, I was made aware of the possibility that the treatment of a new hip could also be done abroad. The reason that I had my hip replacement surgery done in Spain is based on the fact that after a five-day hospital stay, there were 3 weeks of intensive hip rehabilitation under the guidance of well-trained and experienced Dutch physiotherapists.
Given my age of 52 years, my goal was to be mobile again as soon as possible. Of course, the almost always beautiful weather in that region of Spain was also a decisive factor in having the hip prosthesis operation carried out there.
The treatment in Spain for hip and knee replacement surgery with rehabilitation is promoted through the website, http://medifitreha.
After being convinced of the quality of the care, I finally applied for the clinic in Benidorm. They then arranged tickets for me and my companion and 2 weeks later we were on our way to Spain. On arrival, Sunday evening, a lady was waiting for us together with a paramedic to take us from Alicante airport to Benidorm. That same evening, my companion moved into the hotel, which is 100 m away, and I went straight to the clinic.
On Monday, a few tests were made, and I had conversations with the anesthetist and the surgeon. Tuesday morning, I had hip surgery, and, in the afternoon, I was back in the recovery room. The care is really good, there are several multilingual nurses in the clinic.
On Wednesday, I was taken back to my room and in the afternoon, I started with some exercise and walking. On Saturday, together with my companion, I was taken to Benitachell/Moraira to the apartment with hotel service. A fairly new complex, with all the necessary facilities. The apartment has a spacious bathroom, air conditioning and satellite TV. In the garden there are 2 swimming pools and sun loungers. At the apartment, the escort also gets a free car. On the monday the physiotherapy/rehabilitation of the hip started.
They are 2-hour sessions, where the first half hour is used to massage to remove the fluid in the leg. After that, you will spend about 1.5 hours in the fitness / rehabilitation room. Here, several rehabilitation machines are available to become mobile again as soon as possible. My hip exercises consisted mainly of cycling, walking on the treadmill, strength training for the legs, cross trainer, and various exercises to improve the mobility of the leg and hip. Due to this intensive programme, I was very mobile within a few days.
The exercises intensified in the course of 3 weeks and after 2 weeks I even got permission from the surgeon to drive a car again. Of course, it is particularly nice to rest on a terrace in the sun in Moraira, Javea or Calpe after 2 hours of intensive exercise. This is also one of the nice conditions of an operation in Spain.
The support from the Medifit team was very professional and pleasant. The team has a broad base of specialism.
After a total of 4 weeks in Spain, we were picked up again by a passenger van and brought to the airport. I have spoken to several people in Holland who also had hip or knee surgery but had to arrange their own rehabilitation/physio. These people are not nearly as far after 4 weeks as I was with my intensive rehabilitation programme. There is also the risk that, if one does not follow a good intensive rehabilitation programme, permanent discomfort may arise, and that the flexibility of the leg will not fully return.
All in all, I am very satisfied with the whole trip. The staff were always punctual and everything that was promised to me was delivered.
Especially the combination of the hip operation with the intensive rehabilitation programme, the nice weather and the beautiful region made the whole thing go great.
Kind regards,
Robert C.A. Tak
Huizen
