The joy of health insurance. You can fight this - insurers can change their minds. The other option is to see if your proposed surgeon has an NHS list that you can go on to. NHS do carry out trocheoplasties as far as I know - who has said they will not do it via NHS? . There is a member on here who had hers done in London a couple of years back - I can get her to check out this thread via facebook if you want me to as I am not sure how often she visits as her surgery has been pretty successful! I am pretty sure she was on the NHS but I cannot be 100% sure. have you spoken to your surgeon about this? He/She may need to put forward a case to AXA to justify why the procedure needs doing. If he can convince them that this is actually cost effective (e.g. it preserves your knee....a knee replacement will cost them much more in the long run.....) then they may reconsider.

Self funding is VERY costly. I self funded a relatively simple foot surgery with my surgeon's fees being a cheap £1200 but the hospital fees for only one night came to over £4,000 plus X-rays, scans etc etc. However, if it is the only way (it was for me - NHS might have done it but I was not convinced they'd do it right plus I wanted only one surgeon and he didn't do any NHS work....it paid for me as I had nasty complications and being able to call my surgeon's secm, have her text him in theatre and then see me within 2 hours of the call was worth every penny!). There are schemes to fund - mine was a BMI card with 6 months interest free and I just about coped with my Mum paying the surgeon's fee and then hubby helping with other bits!

Don't give up. There is a way if you fight for it. hang in there. We all understand on here, it sucks when plans get scuppered. Good luck and let me know if you want me to get the KGer to check in - think her KG name was anihine?

Lottie

Hi guys - cheers Lottie - nope, not AXA but yes, lots of issues with another insurer.  I did post on the other thread before seeing this one   The best thing is to talk to the surgeon's secretary, they deal with this all the time.  I am not sure what a trocleoplasty is - is there anything needed other than the surgeon's time and a skill - i.e. cells growing, bits from cadavers?  I would think a big open knee op with 3 days in hospital plus all the rehab etc, would run to 10k + if self funding (as I guess the insurers wouldn't pay for follow up or physio either)?  Maybe try to get your HR department involved, sometimes they have certain powers especially around PHI contract renewal time

I had the same issue getting approved for a MACI cartilage repair, same silliness with NICE.  They said they would approve only as part of a trial, surgeon contacted them on this basis and they approved.  My initial surgeon was going to do AMIC, wrote to them and they point blank refused as it wasn't approved by NICE, nor part of a trial - hence the referral to the other surgeon

Talk to the surgeon / his sec and see what they can do.  Perhaps refer you to an NHS surgeon?  Adrian Wilson in Basingstoke is a patella specialist and does NHS work, perhaps you could see him?  http://www.hampshireknee.co.uk/  Will mean a wait though I fear and a load of faff

Good luck

Hi everyone. Wee update - my OS's secretary rang me yesterday to inform me my OS has requested a conference call with a senior staff member, so hopefully something will come of that! Been in lots of pain for the past 24 hours, so really counting down to my op at the moment!!