After twisting her knee during a game of padel, sport-loving Pamela Langton was told she urgently needed a knee replacement.

The 67-year-old chef from Colwyn Bay, Wales, was devastated by the news, knowing she faced a potential three-year wait for NHS treatment.

Ms Langton, who had been suffering knee pain for a year prior to her injury, said: "I had an X-ray done at my local NHS hospital.

"It showed that bone was grinding on bone, and I was told that I needed a new knee.

"There was no other option."

A knee replacement would have meant the end of her active lifestyle, which included playing and refereeing men's basketball, golf, and padel.

Facing a lengthy NHS wait, she began looking into private treatment options.

Her research led her to Elite Surgery Abroad (ESA), a UK-based company offering private surgery at a lower cost than domestic options.

ESA provides comprehensive treatment packages in a French private hospital, costing up to 40 per cent less than UK alternatives.

Her research took her to France for treatment (Image: Supplied) Ms Langton said: "ESA offered by far the better package.

"It included 16 days of being looked after – much more than the others – and everything was in the one place."

She praised the company's responsiveness, saying she could be treated almost immediately.

Her decision was also influenced by her husband Paul's health, as he was due to be in hospital for six weeks.

READ MORE:

Ms Langton calculated that with ESA, she could have the operation, recover, and be ready to help with his care by the time he was discharged.

She travelled from Manchester to Paris and was taken to the Novage Residence in Amiens, where she stayed in a one-bedroom apartment for nearly two weeks.

Two days after her arrival, she was driven to the Victor Pauchet Clinic, where her knee replacement surgery was performed by Dr Thomas Rouanet.

She spent five days in the hospital, where she had physiotherapy and painkillers to ease post-surgery discomfort.

She then returned to the residence, where she received daily visits from nurses and a physiotherapist.

She spent five days in hospital following the surgery (Image: Supplied) Ms Langton said: "The treatment in the hospital was exemplary.

"All the staff were so friendly and they were right there when you needed them, helping me to manage the initial pain and getting me back on my feet."

She returned home to the UK and is now under the care of a GP, also arranged by ESA.

The company's founder, Raoul Mkoh, previously the finance manager of the Pauchet Santé hospital group, said the affordability of the ESA offering is already attracting significant interest.