How Jonathan Turned a Year-Long Wait into Nine Days on Crutches

The wait that wouldn’t end

Jonathan Nixon Hughes had lived with hip pain for years, but the news still stung: at least twelve months on the NHS list or almost £20,000 for private treatment in London. Every stair became a calculation; even sleep needed planning. One evening, restless on the sofa, Jonathan typed “hip replacement abroad” and found Thera Travel.

From enquiry to plan

When Jonathan emailed, our adviser Ilva replied that same day. Three destinations matched his medical notes and budget—Latvia, Poland, Turkey. Latvia felt right. A short video call with ORTO Clinic’s orthopaedic team followed, and within twenty-four hours Jonathan held a fixed-price package and a surgery date three weeks away. Return flights from Gatwick to Riga were shorter than the drive to his in-laws.

Arrival in Riga

Jonathan landed on a Sunday. Ilva greeted him at arrivals, easing the first-trip nerves. That afternoon the clinic completed scans; that evening Dr Vitolds Jurkevičs talked Jonathan through the procedure, implant choice and recovery milestones. Clear, calm, no rush.

Surgery, recovery, surprise

The operation took place on Monday morning. By day three Jonathan was mastering the ward’s coffee machine. On day nine he walked the corridor on two crutches, grinning for a photo. Pain hovered at “annoying” rather than “sharp”, and the bill—covering surgery, five inpatient nights, two hotel nights, transfers and daily physio—came to a little over forty per cent of a UK quote.

Home yet still supported

Back in London, follow-up checks happened over secure video. When Jonathan logged 5,000 steps one afternoon, he messaged Ilva; she answered with a picture of Riga’s Freedom Monument in spring light. “I’ll run past that when I visit again,” he promised.

Why Jonathan’s choice worked

• Speed – three weeks from first email to surgery.
  
  
• Certainty – transparent, fixed cost; typical savings 50–60 %.
  
  
• Continuity – the same surgeon from first consult to final sign-off.
  
  
• Support – English-speaking coordinator on call throughout.
  
  

Jonathan now recommends ORTO Clinic to friends facing long waits. His instinct served him well; it could serve you too.

Ready for your next step?

Book a free 15-minute consultation with a Thera Travel advisor—no obligation, just clear options.

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