Jovica Mitrovic (54) has lived in Switzerland for 43 years. Immediately following completing his training, he begins working in Germany as a construction worker. It’s his dream job. “I can’t do anything else,” admits the native Serb with a smile.
Six years ago, however, came the devastating diagnosis: arthrosis in Mitrovic’s knee joints. “I’ve had knee pain for a long time,” explains the family man who lives in Vicques JU. “But I really never expected that.”
“I need an artificial joint now”
The Serbs are then prescribed numerous painkillers. “I kept going to work,” he says. “I didn’t want to just sit at home and do nothing.” Despite this, he keeps failing due to illness. And when he has the strength to go to the construction site, he always has to take long breaks there.
In order to be able to work and live normally once more, Jovica Mitrovic now wants an artificial knee joint. A measure that is only taken as a last resort in severe arthrosis. According to doctors, Mitrovic is not ready yet. “I’m told that I can’t get an implant until I’m 60. Then it won’t help me anymore,” says the construction worker in despair. “I need the artificial joint now so that I can go to the construction site and not to sit on the sofa following I retire.”
Body weight and wear speak once morest surgery
When asked by Blick, Stefan Preiss (60), chief physician for knee surgery at the Schulthess Clinic in Zurich, confirmed: “The average age when knee prostheses are inserted is 68 years.” However, in individual cases, even 20-year-old patients with inflammatory diseases of the joints or following fractures would get a prosthesis.
Preiss explains why doctors do not want to insert artificial knee joints in individual cases: “It may be that the patient is too fat, too ill or the arthrosis is not advanced enough. The risk of infection or excessive wear and tear of the implants are also possible reasons.» The wear and tear caused by his job and his body weight are key issues for Mitrovic.
Until May 16th at the construction site
Nevertheless, Mitrovic does not understand why the doctors do not want to give him an implant. “I don’t want to be a burden on the taxpayer. I don’t want an IV pension, I want to work,” he explains. “All I need is a new knee joint.” In addition, two artificial knee joints are certainly cheaper than drawing an IV pension for years.
Mitrovic last went to work on May 16th. “We were building a hotel,” he says. “There was a step there. My legs were so weak that I tripped over them and bruised my knees. That was the moment when I realized: It’s over now.”
Since then, Mitrovic has been doing what he never wanted: sitting around doing nothing at home. Soon he will probably have to report to the disability insurance.