'The experience was first class': Spanish surgery sees Cork man skip waiting list for knee operation
Cork man Denis Buckley, who was told he would be waiting years in Ireland for a new knee, received one within weeks in Spain.
A Cork school caretaker who was told he would have to wait years for a new knee had his operation for free at a private hospital in Spain, thanks to a little-known EU law.
Denis Buckley, who is 58, was in extreme pain and unable to walk any distance after an old sports injury flared up late last year.
Mr Buckley, who played championship hurling until the age of 45 and still enjoyed five-a-side soccer games until recently, used the European Union’s Cross-Border Directive and an organisation called HealthCareAbroad.ie to make the trip.
He was treated for his injury at a hospital in the upmarket seaside city of Dénia, north of Alicante on the Costa Blanca.
The facility used by patients travelling with Healthcare Abroad is dubbed “the Irish hospital” by Spanish locals because so many Irish patients now get treatment there.
Mr Buckley was able to jump waiting lists at home under the cross-border directive, a decade-old scheme which allows patients from any EU country to avail of treatment in another EU country.
In the case of Irish citizens travelling abroad for treatment in other EU countries, the HSE then pays the costs of the operation.
“The whole experience was first class,” said Denis, who lives in Rostellan and is caretaker at Gaelscoil Uí Drisceoil in Dunkettle.
“I just had to pay for my flights out of Cork to Alicante and the hotel where there are vastly reduced rates for Irish patients.”
The turning point in his decision to fly to Spain came just before Christmas.
A keen sportsman all his life, he had played as a teenager with St Colman’s College in Fermoy.
“I first had an injury in my left knee when I was 19,” he told .
Dr Con Murphy with the Cork team referred Mr Buckley for keyhole surgery in Tralee, which proved effective until his mid-thirties, when his knee began to lock again.
“I went to Con again and I was sent to see a consultant and had treatment for a torn meniscus,” he said.
“I played intermediate with Blarney when I lived there until I was 40 and then returned to Donoughmore and played junior hurling there until I was 45.”
A fit man who always loved to walk, he played football with Blarney and Donoughmore, playing soccer with Donoughmore Athletic as well until he turned 50, when his problems with his knee returned.
“I had the meniscus surgery again, but I was told my knee was gone,” he said.
“But then after that a gang of us got together and played five-a-side until I was 53 but I was done by then and had to stop.”
However, he continued to exercise, walking the family dog, an assistance dog for his 15-year-old son who has autism.
“My doctor sent me for an MRI and I was told I was being put on a waiting list.”
He was told that he would probably be waiting for several years.
“I rang a friend of mine, Billy Sheehan, who had been to Spain for both hip surgery and cataract surgery and he advised me to ring Healthcare Abroad.”
Four weeks later he was in the HCB Hospital in Dénia getting knee replacement surgery.
“I couldn’t wait any longer,” he said.
Mr Buckley said the hospital staff in Spain were amazing.
“The surgery was carried out by Dr López Vázquez, and he has 40 years’ experience. He is a top, top surgeon. I began physio the next day and again the physiotherapists were superb.”
He said the EU scheme he used for surgery would refund the costs to him in around 12 to 16 weeks’ time.
Healthcare Abroad Ireland works alongside the HSE to assist patients through the cross-border scheme, helping to complete paperwork and to liaise with Irish GPs.
Any treatment offered by the HSE can be treated abroad under the EU legislation, with details of some of the operations available on www.healthcareabroad.ie A spokesperson for Healthcare Abroad said the company was delighted that Mr Buckley had a successful operation and was now on his way to a full recovery.
“We would like to wish him all the best for the future,” the spokesperson said.
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