Lynette Häuselmann already had an appointment with the orthopaedist. There, the details for the planned operation were to be clarified: the 60-year-old from St. Gallen was threatened with an artificial hip joint. For months, the athletic woman had been suffering from advanced coxarthrosis in her right hip. For a while, painkillers helped her get by, until they were no longer of any use. Recently, she often could not even sleep properly because of the discomfort.

But the closer the doctor’s appointment came, the more uncertain Lynette Häuselmann became. «At 60, I thought I was still too young for a prosthesis.» She started searching the internet for gentler treatment options – and came across the so-called autologous blood therapy.