A girl from Lunéville underwent a unique operation in Luxembourg

The case of 12-year-old Louise-Fleur Perrot from the French town of Lunéville is an example of how one family's fight against the system resulted in a rare medical victory. After two years of appeals to the French authorities, including the presidential administration, a girl with a congenital knee condition underwent a rare meniscus transplant in Luxembourg - one of the few such cases in Europe.

The operation was performed on 4 September by Professor Romain Seil at the Eich Clinic at CHL. This is one of the few specialists on the continent who perform such interventions: "In every major European country, there are no more than three to five centres where such operations are performed," said the surgeon.

Louise-Fleur had a lateral meniscus anomaly from birth. At the age of six it was removed after tearing, and for the next six years the bones in her knee made contact without cushioning, causing chronic pain and cartilage damage. A meniscus transplant, performed in a minimally invasive way using arthroscopy, was able to give the child back a chance at normal mobility. The donor meniscus was obtained from a European donor.

The road to surgery was as difficult as the surgery itself. The girl's mother, Charlotte Perrot, launched an administrative campaign to fund treatment abroad. New French legislation prohibiting adult surgeons from operating on children in private clinics effectively denied Louise-Fleur the opportunity to be treated in her home country. A transfer to a Luxembourg specialist on the recommendation of Professor Frank Wein from Nancy was a lifesaver.

The postoperative period is just beginning. Already the day after the intervention, physiotherapy began. "It hurts, but every day is a small victory," the girl's mother told RTL. Two years of observation are ahead to rule out graft rejection.

Prof Seil emphasises: such procedures should be available on a European level, without borders and unnecessary barriers. "We need supranational solutions, especially for rare operations. Europe can and must do this," he concluded.