Villa Stuart
Elite footballers, weekend runners and older adults with worn joints all pass through the same doors at Villa Stuart, a private hospital in Italy that has become a reference point for sports medicine and orthopaedics. It is the only centre in the country accredited by FIFA as a Medical Centre of Excellence, and it is also a collaborating centre of the International Federation of Sports Medicine and an operating unit linked to the Italian sports medicine federation. The orthopaedic department is organised into teams that each focus on one area of the body. Arthroscopy is used widely for the knee, shoulder and hip, allowing surgeons to examine and repair cartilage, menisci and ligaments through tiny incisions, which usually means less pain and a quicker return to training. For athletes and manual workers with shoulder pain and weakness, the shoulder team performs rotator cuff repair to reattach torn tendons and restore strength. When arthritis has damaged the joint, knee replacement with modern implants helps patients walk comfortably again, supported by a dedicated programme for older knees. Diagnosis is fast and precise thanks to three high-field MRI scanners, CT and digital imaging on site, and a 24-hour trauma surgery service handles urgent injuries. Rehabilitation continues in the same place, with heated therapeutic pools, two gyms and an outdoor pitch where athletes can test their return to play under supervision. Set inside a green park on a hilltop, Villa Stuart offers a calm, private setting, a multilingual reception and a team used to caring for patients from many countries.
