Being able to smile again: the Olympic Games as a goal
Katsiaryna Halkina is 23 years old, and she has been active in sports since she was five years old.
As well as for many professional athletes, the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted Katsiaryna's plans to attend the Tokyo Olympics 2020, which have been postponed to 2021. However, besides the COVID-19 pandemic, she suddenly started feeling pain in her right foot.
The rhythmic gymnast Katsiaryna Halkina from Minsk was one of the six best athletes at the Summer Olympics in 2016. She won bronze at the European Championships in 2018 and took part in many other international competitions. But in the end, the ankle joint started to hurt with every strained movement. What should she do considering the fact that she has a strong will to compete again?
Katsiaryna did research and got in contact with the company named German Medical Union (DMU) that helps people find treatment options abroad.
Having studied her case, the consultant found one of the best experts in trauma and sports medicine in Germany. It is Dr. med. Uwe-Jens Teßmann, who is the Head of Trauma Surgery and Arthroscopic Surgery / Sports Traumatology at Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch in Germany. The experienced sports doctor, a former competitive athlete, has the necessary knowledge to help sports professionals in sports medicine and provide them with high-quality medical care.
"Successful treatment is always my goal. A quick and correct diagnosis of patients with orthopedic trauma is important. It is also crucial to study each case individually and decide whether it is necessary to perform surgery or conservative treatment is sufficient".
In Katsiaryna's case, surgery was required to become pain-free, so Katsiaryna agreed with the treatment plan and went to Berlin, where Dr. Teßmann successfully operated on her.
"After two to three weeks of rehabilitation with a lot of physiotherapy sessions, she will be able to train again. Then, in two to three months, she will be able to do that with the usual high training load," the doctor said.
From his own experience, Dr. Teßmann knows how important it is to be 100 percent healthy, especially for young athletes. In 1980 he became vice world champion in fin swimming.
During the interview, Katsiaryna Halkina smiles and looks very satisfied: "I am glad I took this route. Here in Germany, there are the best conditions and the healthcare professionals for every speciality. My credits go to Dr. Teßmann and, of course, to the whole team here at Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch".
The greatest reward for the doctor will be if Katsiaryna competes again as planned and achieves her goal at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021.
For your information: Ball sports, horse riding, jogging, or cycling - in each sport, there is always a certain risk of injury. This applies to both professional and amateur athletes of all ages. Dr. Teßmann and his team of the Trauma surgery department at the Helios Clinic Berlin-Buch treat all accidental and sports injuries as well as their consequential damage: from simple cuts and broken bones up to the complex treatment of the most seriously injured like multiple-trauma patients.
Do you have any questions? Please contact our Helios International Team!
