Meet our UK & Ireland Patient Coordinator – Tania Pezzolesi-Clark

Hello and welcome! My name is Tania and I am delighted to be your UK & Ireland patient coordinator. I’m here to guide you through your cosmetic surgery journey and I will always be happy to assist you with any questions or queries you may have. I look forward to hearing from you.
Tania

Dr. Karlis Verdins, MD, Certified Cosmetic & Reconstructive surgeon, over 500 procedures annually

A highly acknowledged surgeon, with over 12 years’ experience in Cosmetic & Reconstructive surgery.
The surgeon performs over 500 procedures annually.
Specializes in:
· Breast augmentation with and without implants
· Breast lift (Mastopexy), Breast reduction
· Tummy tuck (Abdominoplasty)
· Eyelids, arm reduction
· Reconstructive microsurgical procedures, hand surgeries

12 Reasons to choose us

Predominantly English speaking medical team

Although there is an inevitable language barrier, the majority of our medical personnel have a good standard of English to ensure you feel as comfortable as possible during your cosmetic surgery journey with us.

A highly acknowledged cosmetic surgeon

Our head surgeon Dr Karlis Verdins MD, is highly acknowledged and has over 12 years of experience in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Dr Karlis Verdins MD performs in the region of 500 surgical procedures every year and annually attends cosmetic surgeon meetings and congresses.

Luxury treatment for less

5-star treatment for half the price of the UK. With us you get an equivalent or higher standard of care than that of a private clinic in the UK, for just a fraction of the cost.

UK and Ireland patient coordinator

You get your very own UK based patient coordinator, who is dedicated to making your cosmetic surgery journey run as smoothly and as efficiently as possible. From the first point of contact right through to your one year follow up. Your coordinator will always be happy to answer any questions or queries, no matter how big or small.

Fresh and comfortable recovery rooms

With our luxury, bright and spacious en suite rooms, you’re sure to feel comfortable and at home during your stay with us at Cosmetic Surgery Riga.

24-hour monitoring and medical care

During your stay with us in a beautiful private floor of Jurmala hospital, you will be monitored day and night by our highly commended and experienced nursing and medical team.

Prompt appointment system

We do everything possible to meet your needs regarding arranging appointments. We could be ready to accept you for cosmetic procedures within as little time as a week after your surgeon’s review.

Help and support every step of the way

Your patient coordinator will be available to assist you by telephone or email, right up until your one year follow up post-surgery.

We can accommodate you and a friend should you choose to bring one along

You don’t have to go it alone, we can arrange for you to bring a friend or partner along to stay with you throughout your stay with us, for company or support.

Surgeon’s liability insurance

Our hospital provides surgeon’s liability insurance, for each cosmetic surgeon operating up to the value of 30 000 Euro.

Cheap and direct flights to Riga

With convenient and direct flights to Riga from the UK, operated by Ryanair, Wizz air and Air Baltic daily you’ll never be too far away from your dream cosmetic procedure.

Our patient reviews speak for themselves

Don’t just take our word for it! Read some of our glowing patient reviews.

Undergoing knee replacement is a big decision and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Keys to the success of your knee replacement surgery are finding the right surgeon to perform it and the right clinic where you can have it done. There are a lot of orthopaedic surgeons out there and many of them do fine work. But how to find the best knee surgeon if you’ve never done anything like this before? The answer is that you’ll need to be patient and methodical and adhere to the basic process we’ll lay out below.

Tips for How to Find the Best Knee  Surgeon

Finding a surgeon with a history of successful knee replacement outcomes will provide you with the best chance of returning to your active lifestyle without any speed bumps or setbacks. The following tips will help you select the best surgeon for the job and for you.

Ask for Referrals

It’s likely that your primary care physician can provide you the names of several qualified orthopaedic surgeons. Doctors tend to network more vigorously than people in just about any other profession and are well aware of the capabilities of their colleagues. Ask your doctor why they recommended this surgeon or that and make careful note of their reasons. If you have a physical therapist there is a good chance they know an orthopaedic doctor or two as well, so don’t be shy about asking them for referrals.

Take the list of referrals provided by your primary care physician and physical therapist and cross check it with your insurance plan. If you choose an orthopaedic surgeon who is outside of your plan it may affect how much you’ll be expected to cover out of pocket.

Evaluate the Surgeon’s Credentials

Once you’ve narrowed the field down to one or two surgeons take some time to review their background including their education, what degrees they hold and from which universities, where they did their residency and any specialized training or credentials. It’s also important to note if they are board certified. And if they’ve been singled out by their peers for special recognition that’s important too.

Another crucial aspect of judging a surgeon’s capabilities is finding out how many knee replacement procedures they have performed. If they’re like the surgeons at Orthopaedic Riga that number will be in the hundreds. If knee replacement is something the orthopaedic surgeon only does occasionally you may want to consider someone else.

Meet with the Surgeon

The final step in the evaluation process is to meet with the surgeons who comprise your short list face to face. Discuss your situation in depth, ask lots of questions, take note of whether they put you at ease while you’re talking to them and whether they answer your questions or keep looking at their watch.

Finding the Best Orthopaedic Clinic

Choosing the right orthopaedic clinic is as important as finding the right knee replacement surgeon. If the clinic is substandard you run an elevated risk of infection and other complications. Here are some of the things to consider when searching for the best orthopaedic clinic for your replacement knee surgery.

Check Online

The Internet is a great place to conduct most of your research into orthopaedic clinics. All the best have their own websites that include video tours of the facility as well as patient reviews, information about the staff and more. Refine your search geographically and if you find a clinic that appeals to you do a further search using terms like “X clinic problems” and “X clinic reviews” etc.

Find a Surgeon by Finding a Clinic

Rather than looking for a knee replacement surgeon first many people find their surgeon by looking for orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine clinics first. It’s a perfectly valid way to proceed because frankly, the best surgeons typically work in the best clinics. So once you’ve narrowed down your choice of clinics for knee surgery look into the experience and credentials of the surgical staff and keep the following in mind:

●        Experience – Those with the most experience with orthopaedic surgeries are likely to produce the best results. It’s the same with any profession. You want your knee replacement surgeon to be as comfortable as possible with the procedure, not feeling their way as they go.

●        Staff – As we said you’re going to spend most of your time at the clinic interacting with the support staff so it’s important that they are as helpful and knowledgeable as possible. Read customer reviews to get an idea what the support staff are like. And if you choose a clinic abroad make sure the staff speaks English.

●        Facility – Is the clinic clean and spacious? Are the operating theatres fitted with the most modern equipment? Are the patient rooms well-appointed with wifi, up to date TVs, comfortable beds, AC and more? Such things are important during knee surgery recovery. Also, make sure it’s centrally located so you can get to it easily.

●        Patient experience – And speaking of patient reviews, no assessment of an orthopaedic clinic is complete without weighing the experience of the people who’ve had their knee replacement there. Fancy marketing is all well and good but if the marketing is saying one thing and the patients are saying something else go with the patient reviews every time.

The Bottom Line

How to find the best knee surgeon is not rocket science. Whether you begin your search for the best orthopaedic knee surgeon by looking for a clinic first or the surgeon first the most important thing is to be patient. The information you need is out there. It’s just a matter of finding it. Orthopaedic Riga is one of the most trusted orthopaedic clinics in Northern Europe staffed by some of the most experienced orthopaedic surgeons you’ll find anywhere. Contact our UK patient representative today to find out more about the clinic, its surgical staff, its support staff and the facilities. Or to ask any questions you may have including “What is orthopaedic surgery?” and “Why should I have knee replacement in Riga?”