Extreme case in Tyrol

Waiting two years for surgery – solution now in sight

One Tyrolean recently received shocking news at Innsbruck Hospital.

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer/Kronen Zeitung)

A patient in pain who is not due to get an appointment for an operation for another two years - this extreme case happened in Tyrol. A solution is now in sight for the patient. But what does this mean for other patients on surgery waiting lists?

Mr. Heidegger (name changed) has been through a rollercoaster of emotions. Not long ago, the Tyrolean was still in shock because he had only been given the prospect of an operation date for his incisional hernia at Innsbruck Hospital in two years' time. The "Krone" newspaper reported on the extreme case. A lack of staff was cited as the reason for the long waiting time. Mr. Heidegger was desperate, as he had been advised to have the operation by medical consultants.