You don’t have to prolong your suffering from an extremely painful hip joint due to arthritis or an injury. You have a choice and the means to be free from pain now that affordable hip replacement in Tijuana, Mexico is available for patients who can’t cope up with the rising medical costs in their home country. Owing to its sound reputation, medical tourism in Mexico has been attracting an increasing number of patients from the United States and Canada who seek affordable treatment abroad.

According to the report “Health at a Glance 2011: OECD Indicators,” osteoarthritis is among the ten most disabling diseases in the developed countries. Between 2000 and 2009, the rate of hip replacement in most OECD countries rose by over 25%. The high cost of surgery is pushing patients to choose low cost hip replacement surgery in Tijuana, Mexico. For patients enduring severe knee arthritis as well, affordable knee replacement surgery in Mexico can give them the relief they need.

What Is Hip Replacement?

• With hip replacement surgery, the surgeon replaces the painful hip joint with an artificial joint made from metal and plastic components. If all other treatment options have failed, it is time you can consider joint hip replacement in Tijuana, Mexico to be free from pain and enjoy great savings as well.

• You can inquire about total hip replacement in Tijuana, Mexico if you’re suffering from osteoarthritis, bony fractures of the hip joint, rheumatoid arthritis, or death of the hip bone. The cost of total hip replacement in Tijuana, Mexico is just a fraction of the prices charged for the procedure in the US, Canada, and other high income countries.

• There are many highly-qualified doctors who can perform minimally invasive hip replacement in Tijuana, Mexico. This approach requires an expert doctor to make one to two incisions from 2 to 5 inches long. A standard technique is considered safer, with only one 8 to 10 inch-long incision along the side of the hip.

Why Choose Hip Replacement Surgery in Tijuana – Mexico?

• A major selling point is the low hip replacement surgery cost in Tijuana – Mexico. Overall, medical costs in Mexico are lower than the prices charged in the developed countries of the West owing to the low living costs, making the Latin American country the destination of choice for thousands of medical tourists every year. From gastric sleeve in Guadalajara to gynecologic surgery in Ciudad Juarez, patients can rest assured that they will be getting high quality medical care plus great cost savings.

• There are many highly-qualified hip replacement surgeons in Tijuana, Mexico. Most renowned doctors in Mexico earned their degrees and training at reputable institutions in the US and Europe. To remain competitive, they make sure to be up-to-date with the latest medical guidelines and standards and use advanced medical equipment.

• Tijuana is very close to San Diego, California (about 17 kilometers away). Mexico’s close proximity to the USA makes it more convenient for Americans to travel to either by plane or car and save travel expenses and time.

• As Mexican doctors get used to accommodating international patients, quite a few of them can already speak English fluently and know very well how to make their patients very comfortable.

The Beauty of Tijuana

You won’t get bored while your stay for partial or total hip replacement in Tijuana as there are many fascinating places to see in this city known to be a favorite destination for Hollywood celebrities in the early 1900s.

• You can visit the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, the site of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1731.

• To satisfy your cravings for art, you can visit the Museo de Cera de Tijuana and the Museo El Trompo.

• If you wish to see some of the famous monuments and landmarks, there are the Agua Caliente Tower, Plaza Santa Cecilia, and Caesar’s Hotel to feast your eyes upon.

• And of course, shopping! Avenida Revolucion is the heart of Tijuana’s retail district.

Hip Replacement Tijuana Trip – Simple Survival Tips

• All tourists in Mexico should practice general safety precautions and protect themselves from thieves and pickpockets.

• Learn some useful Spanish phrases so you can converse with the local folks and ask for directions or any other form of assistance, or to simply build rapport with them.

• Tap water is not safe to drink. Always buy bottled purified water. It’s cheap and available almost everywhere.

• Wear sunscreen even on a cloudy day. The sun can be quite relentless in Mexico.

Hip replacement in Tijuana – Mexico can not only provide relief from hip joint pain, but also be a great deal for your money.

Submit the free request quote form on the right for more information on Hip Replacement in Tijuana – Mexico.

Musculoskeletal injuries are a serious problem, causing pain and suffering that can make everyday activities difficult to perform. Receiving care for these problems can be difficult due to the high costs involved with such procedures, but by enlisting the aid of helpful medical tourism companies, you can travel for orthopaedic surgery in Tijuana, Mexico and save money.
 
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), musculoskeletal injuries are the leading cause of lost work days and resulted in approximately $339 billion of lost wages in 2004 alone. If you’re having knee, hip, elbow, or any other problems that are causing you to miss work or suffer pain, you can seek out the best orthopaedic surgeons in Tijuana, Mexico for help.

Musculoskeletal Conditions and Arthritis Facts

 
Before traveling to Tijuana for knee replacement, hip replacement or any other bone and joint surgery, you must carry-out an exhaustive research on your condition and find out its possible treatment options. Below are some facts that may be of help:
 
• Orthopaedic surgery covers any surgery that is performed to aid musculoskeletal conditions. These conditions include injuries to muscles, ligaments, bones, joints, and tendons in addition to problems such as osteoporosis or arthritis.
• Some of the most common orthpaedic procedures used to treat musculoskeletal conditions are: total shoulder replacement, total knee replacement, total hip replacement, and rotator cuff repair.
• According to a 2006 study by the AAOS, musculoskeletal problems formed the second highest cause of visits to physicians in the US.
• Arthritis causes a lot of pain and many people find help by having orthopaedic surgery. The Centers for Disease Control reported that in the 2004 in the US, over 450,000 total knee replacement surgeries were performed to help people with arthritis problems.
 

Benefits of Orthopaedic Treatment in Tijuana, BC

 
• The price of hip replacement, knee replacement, should-joint replacment and other orthopaedic surgeries in Tijuana is lot lower than in the US, where the high medical costs can force you to wait for treatment.
• Traveling to Tijuana, Mexico is very convenient for anyone living in the US, particularly for those living in California. Tijuana is just across the border from San Diego, and is a popular destination for tourists looking to make a day trip as well as those seeking medical care.
• When you’re having a joint pain, the last thing you want is to have to walk around a lot. Cabs are very accessible and run conveniently through all of Tijuana, making it easy to get wherever you need to.
• You’ll never be far from the comforts of home when you’re having orthopaedic treatment in TJ, Baja California. Many US chain restaurants, shops, and even banks operate in Tijuana, catering to the large number of tourists.
• Orthopaedic surgeons in Tijuana undergo rigorous training and many of them have studied or trained in the US.
• In addition to the low cost of orthopaedic surgery in Tijuana, you’ll find that the hotels are also very affordable, so you can expect to save money even after including the cost of travel.
 

Traveling Tips

 
If you’re considering traveling for an orthopaedic procedure like knee arthroscopy in Tijuana, there are a few tips you might want to remember:
• Spanish is the official language in Tijuana, Mexico, but with a large amount of tourists coming in from the US, it shouldn’t be too hard for you to find people who speak English.
• Many restaurants, hotels, and shops cater to tourists and are willing to accept US dollars.
• If you’ll be traveling by plane for orthopaedic surgery in TJ, Baja California, the local airport is Tijuana-General Abelardo L. Rodtriguez International Airport (airport code: TIJ).
The low cost of ACL reconstruction surgery and other orthopaedic surgeries in Mexico have drawn a number of tourists from the more affluent North American countries. By having orthopaedic surgery in Tijuana, Mexico you can relax knowing you’ll receive great care from experienced doctors at an affordable price.
 
Submit the free request quote form on the right for more information on Orthopaedic Surgery in Tijuana, Mexico.

This video features a leading orthopedic surgeon from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, who talks about the volume of patients he handles on a regular basis, and the balance that he strikes between his private practice and as a consultant at a hospital.

Following is the video narration:

“Currently in our practice here in Juarez, we have our private practice which is apart from the institutional practice. Maybe in a slow week we have to operate 1 patient a week, joint replacement or arthroscopic surgery and when, time of work, when we do have some work we’re doing maybe 5 patients a week. So, the range goes from there on surgery means. And consults we probably see 10 to 15 patients a day in the office giving a consult or taking a follow-up on the surgery that we’ve done to the patient. So, the moral is we would be talking at a mean of maybe 3 patients a week of surgery, of surgical procedures. That’s in the private practice.

“In the institutional area where also do some work that’s a lot of difference in, taking in consideration that there is a lot of volume in the public hospitals. So there we, I can say, if I am attending the consults at the office, you could see many, 20 patients in one day. And surgery is 3 times a week, 3 procedures, 2 to 3 procedures each day. So, you’d be talking about maybe 6 procedures, 7 procedures during the week. But that’s the least; it could be more work.

“The fact of the matter is that we always try to balance the private work and stay more focused on the private work and only attend d the institutional hospital when we’re in need of because the way that I work in the institutional hospital is taking care of the patients when other doctors are out of town, or in vacation, leave etc., that’s when we are in the hospital, in the institutional hospital.”

If you suffer from severe pains, debilitating stiffness and limited movement caused by arthritis of or injury to your knee, undergoing knee replacement in Tijuana, Mexico can be an alternative worth giving a shot, especially if affordability is a key criterion for you. With its world-renowned medical facilities and highly trained surgeons, Tijuana has become a chosen destination for medical treatments including knee replacement surgery

According to a 2011 article published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, over 500,000 persons undergo knee replacement surgery each year. As patients, both young and old, seek remedies for their damaged knees, the low cost of knee replacement surgery in Tijuana, Mexico makes it a viable option.

While there are no established statistics for the number of Americans heading to Mexico for treatments, a 2009 study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research estimated that nearly one million people from California alone chose Mexico as their medical tourism

What is Knee Replacement Surgery?

Knee replacement surgery, also known as knee arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure that replaces severely damaged knees to relieve pain and stiffness. In this surgery, the affected knee’s cartilage and bone is replaced with an artificial joint made of metal and plastic.

There are different kinds of knee replacement surgeries that depend on the extent of damage. Advanced surgical hospitals offer different procedures of orthopedic knee replacement in Tijuana, Mexico that include total and partial knee replacement, minimally invasive replacement and revision knee replacement.

Why Tijuana, Mexico for Replacement Knee Surgery?

Some of the advantages of opting for orthopedic knee replacement surgery in Mexico are:

• Affordable surgical procedures: Whether you go for single or bilateral knee replacement in Tijuana, Mexico, all you would be paying is a small percentage of the prices charged for like-procedures in the US. Low cost is not only restricted to orthopedic procedures such as knee and hip resurfacing in Mexico’s medical tourism behemoth. Be it getting a facelift or dental implants and crowns in Tijuana, you can avail easy on the pocket procedures.

• Top notch surgical facilities: The renowned hospitals in Mexico are comparable to their counterparts in the developed countries of the world. Adhering to international standards, surgeons use state-of-the-art technology and high-quality surgical equipment to perform partial and total knee replacement surgery in Tijuana, Mexico.

• World class surgeons: Mexico is home to a number of highly trained surgeons, many of whom are board-certified and widely published. Additionally, a large percentage of Mexican doctors are trained in the United States and speak English fluently.

• Minimal or zero waiting period: Patients can schedule their knee replacement surgery without waiting for long periods since surgeons and operating theaters are easily available.

• Low travel costs: Being geographically close to the US further cuts costs, making it even more attractive for getting otherwise pricey procedures such as arthritis knee surgery in Tijuana, Mexico. Tijuana is located only 17 miles from San Diego, California.

• Travel opportunities: With its friendly people and warm hospitality, there is an added advantage for undergoing surgical procedures in Tijuana, Mexico. The border town is known for its numerous charming touristy spots visiting which can allay any preoperative nervousness and speed up convalescence.

Preparing for Orthopedic Knee Replacement in Tijuana

• Most knee replacement surgeries require an average hospital stay of three to five days.

• Postoperative ambulation requires a walker or crutches until the knee heals. This process can take up to six weeks.

• Physical rehabilitation therapy is recommended for up to ten days after the surgery. Patients traveling for orthopedic knee replacement surgery to Tijuana, Mexico should bear in mind that they will be required to remain in the country for postoperative therapy.

Safety Tips on Medical Trip to Tijuana

• Before traveling for your medical treatment, do extensive research on the hospitals and surgeons in Tijuana.

• Medical tourists are spoilt for choices since a large number of world class hospitals have been built to meet the demands of patients seeking cheaper options for medical procedures including orthopedic treatments, cosmetic surgeries and even weight loss surgeries such as lap band and gasrtic bypass in Tijuana Mexico, among others.

• While traveling to and in Mexico, be cautious about your safety. Limit the amount of expensive jewelry and valuables you carry and wear.

• Most Mexican businesses accept the US dollar and major credit cards. Remember to notify your credit card company about your travel to Mexico.

• Do not use or carry illegal drugs.

• If you intend to rent a car, be aware that a valid driver’s license will be required. Additionally, the person renting the vehicle needs to be atleast 25 years old.

With its highly-rated medical centers, well-experienced surgeons, and low procedural costs, Tijuana, Mexico is a viable choice for knee replacement surgery. Add to this, the tourist attractions of the Mexican border town such as the Revolution Avenue and Arguello Square, the pristine beaches, and bullfight arenas, and you have an attractive surgical tourism package. Patients who seek orthopedic knee replacement surgery in Tijuana, Mexico can look forward to a restorative holiday after which they can return home with a spring to their step.

India provides comprehensive care for all orthopedic problems through its state-of-the-art facilities. Thousands of tourists from US, Canada, UK, and European countries travel to India for anterior hip replacement surgery. From joint replacement to sports medicine, treatment of osteoporosis to management of fractures, high quality orthopedic care is provided to keep one’s bones and joints healthy and active.

Cost of Hip replacement Surgery

• Hip replacement cost in Indian hospitals is approximately 30 % to 70 % lower than the costs in the United States
• Inexpensive healthcare in the country is due to low cost of living here.
• Indian hospitals offer a combination of international quality medical treatment and effective cost savings. This has become a particular attraction for patients from abroad.
• Indian hospitals can offer treatments such as anterior hip replacement surgery cost-effectively compared to even other destinations in the Asian region.

Plan Your Medical Trip to India

Planning a trip to India for Hip replacement surgery can be easy if you get experts to take care of things. Also, you must do a thorough research to know about the best services available. Consideration of the following steps may be of help:
• Search for best hospitals and clinics in India, online.
• Find the best surgeons in India for hip replacement surgery in medical tourism field.
• Contact the clinic or a medical tourism company affiliated to them, and inquire about schedule, procedures, airport, clinic, and hotel location and transportation arrangements.
• Plan a trip by contacting your travel agent and inquire about the tourist destinations you can visit while in the country.

Why India for Medical Tourism?

• Hospitals in India offer world class medical facilities, comparable with many top-notch hospitals of the world.
• Indian doctors have also become well-known all over the world for providing effective quality medical and orthopedic procedures like hip replacement surgery at a minimal cost with excellent provisions of post surgery care.
• Affordable and inexpensive costs of medical services make health tourism in India highly appealing to an overseas patient.
• India has been a tourist hot spot and has lured foreigners predominantly because of its mysticism, spirituality, exotic locales, and rich history and culture.
• When it comes to food, India offers a wide range of cuisines due to its regional diversities.
• Language is not a problem as most of the people speak English.
• Rich culture of India offers diverse ancient art and traditions. Every region in India has its own signature style, custom, and ethnicity.

Assistance by Medical Tourism Corporation

• Medical Tourism Co has contracts and relationships with many established network of hospitals and clinics that have state-of-the-art medical technology.
• Patients coming for anterior hip replacement in India can contact the company for all related information.
• The tiniest feature of the trip to India, right from obtaining visas / permits, arranging comfortable hotel accommodations, hospital costs for the treatment, doctors’ fees, ride to and from the heath center, to the airfare and transport services and arranging for sightseeing, within the country, is handled well by professionals

Positive measures taken by government to facilitate medical tourism has encouraged patients from abroad to fly to India for anterior hip replacement surgery at affordable cost.

Orthopedic joint surgeon from Mexico hashes out rotator cuff surgery. Rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons in the form of a cuff in shoulder joint. It serves the purpose of shoulder rotation and holds the arm in its “ball and socket” joint. These muscles may tear due to overuse or injury. If repairable, rotator cuff repair surgery may be advised to the patient after detailed examination by the physician.

Rotator Cuff Surgery – Orthopedic Surgeon Speaks

“The shoulder joint is a very complex part of our body because the shoulder cuff does not have all the bone coverage in the … There is a lot of structures called tendon, ligament, muscles that keeps the ball of the femur attached to the shoulder joint, attached to the glenoid and the movement of all of those, synchronized movement, all of those structures help the shoulder function in all directions. Our shoulder….joint to have most mobility of all the joints.

I am going to give you an example here of shoulder, how it looks like. This is a clavicle here and this is the glenoid. Right on this glenoid, that’s where the humeral head needs to be attached and there is one particular tendon, this one of here is called supraspinatus and many times this tendon ruptures up from the humeral head and it needs to be reattached back onto it. This is called the…. rotator cuff and allows our ……. When a …. rotator cuff has been ruptured due to the formation of a small spur, small spur rolls in the undersurface, right under here and it cuts and bites into the tendon unto a detachment of the humeral head. So in all of our shoulder surgeries, what we do here is to take this ….off and reattach the tendon back onto the humeral head.”

Torn Rotator Cuff Surgery

“On younger population, we have a problem that we have a shoulder been dislocated. This is just a sample for shoulder prosthesis that we use in case if someone had a ….or degenerative joint of the shoulder, we use something like this to replace the normal shoulder function. We go right in this direction. We can move it all in all directions. I just used this model to show you how this humeral head needs to be constantly …. Onto the glenoid.

This is the humeral head, this is a shoulder joint. You can see the scapula here, the clavicle and acromion. Many times the under part of it, there is a spur that grows on here and cuts into the tendon. This is a humeral head and this needs to normally attach right in the middle and its kept in place. Thanks to the functioning of all of the tendon. When one of those tendons is not working right, the shoulder cannot perform all movements that normally cuff can give you . What I do, I go in there and bring back the repaired shoulder back to ….here I have another model and here you can see all of those tendons that need to be reattached to the shoulder. All those tendons are called the rotator cuffs and rotator cuff is very quickly torn in the people over 50 especially in all the baby boomers who want to keep paying over experts. They need to get their shoulder checked and if they are having pain and this pain is waking them up in night or they can’t do their normal things like just brushing their teeths or combing their hair, they most likely have their tendon problem in their shoulder and it needs to be look at and …..”

Dislocated Shoulder Surgery

“In younger group of people especially football players, baseball players, swimmers also have a problem of a shoulder dislocating. This is when the shoulder falls off its joints and drops to the front, down or to the back. In those cases, the repair is called a labrum repair and a capsule repair to bring the shoulder back to its normal position. This kind of dislocation occurs in younger patients.”

In this video, the orthopedic surgeon explains the anatomy of the shoulder joint. He talks about the muscles and tendons (known as Rotator cuff muscles), humeral head, glenoid and supraspinatus (a particular tendon in the shoulder).

The surgeon states that the rotator cuff muscles can tear due to overuse or injury. If there is pain and swelling in the shoulder or the patient is unable to carry out daily activities like brushing teeth or combing his hair, he must consult his physician, says the surgeon. If the physician finds it repairable, a torn rotator cuff surgery may be advised. The goal of this surgery is to attach the torn tendon back to the bone for smooth shoulder movement.

Mexican cities like Puerto Vallarta offer shoulder or rotator cuff repair surgery by internationally trained orthopedic surgeons. The surgery here is offered at a reasonable price in state-of-the-art hospitals. Many patients from different parts of the world fly down to Mexico every year for the cost effective treatment, which would have otherwise made a big hole in their pockets.

Medical Tourism Corporation facilitates medical treatment in India & many other countries at state-of-the-art hospitals. We hope the content of our web site will help a medical tourist find the right destination of their needs. Fill out the free estimate request form on the right for more information.

Stem cell therapy is emerging as a promising option for the treatment of many diseases and serious medical conditions. Patients treated by these ‘Master Cells’, have reported encouraging initial results. The capability of stem cells in treating serious medical diseases and conditions like Type 1 diabetes mellitus, Parkinson’s disease, cardiac failure, muscle damage neurological disorders etc. is being explored widely.

One such potential use of stem cell is in treating orthopedic conditions. For people considering Stem cell treatment in India for Orthopedic diseases, the following information could be of help:

Stem cell basics:

• Stem cells are the undifferentiated founder cells of the body.

• Such cells have a remarkable potential to differentiate into various other types of cells.

• When a stem cell divides, it can either remain unchanged or, if induced, give rise to a more differentiated cell such as a muscle cell or blood cell.

• Stem cell therapy is a form of regenerative medicine in which these cells are introduced into the damaged tissue of the body. They regenerate and replace the damaged cells of the human body, thereby curing the diseases or conditions.

Orthopedics conditions that are treated using stem cells

Stem cells have multiple usages in orthopedics. One of its major uses is in the area of bone regeneration especially where bone loss, bone union, or fusion is required. Some of the important areas are:

• Arthritis

• Cartilage regeneration

• Tennis elbow

• Head and shoulder pain

• Avascular necrosis (AVN)

• Spinal Fusion

• Non-union bone gaps

• Fracture healing in case of extensive damage that cannot be healed via the normal biological process.

• Spinal Cord injury

• Intervertebral disk regeneration

• Injuries of ligaments or tendons

The procedure overview:

• Mesenchymal stem cells extracted from the patient’s iliac crest are used for treatment.

• Bone marrow is collected from the patient’s body using a needle and syringe.

• The marrow is then centrifuged to extract the stem cells.

• These extracted cells are inserted into the site of injury.

• On reaching the site, the stem cells differentiate to become the desired cells.

Highlights of Stem cell treatment in India for orthopedics:

• Renowned orthopedic surgeon of India.

o Has received training and experience from England, USA, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, and Singapore.

o Has done more than 2500 knee and hip replacement surgeries.

o Is the author of many publications.

• 200-bedded hospital that specializes in orthopedics and joint replacement.

o State-of-the-art facilities.

o Well-equipped with modern equipments.

o English speaking medical staff.

Stem cell therapy in India for orthopedics is an easy and affordable option for patients across the globe, who find it unaffordable in their home countries. Many patients who have undergone stem cell treatments in India have reported reassuring results.

India is a popular destination abroad for revision hip replacement (or arthroplasty) surgery. Revision hip replacement is an orthopedic surgery to replace an earlier hip prosthesis that has worn out. Though first-time hip joint replacements are common and successful nowadays, they tend to wear out with time. When a patient’s hip replacement has worn out, he/she may need a revision hip surgery.

Revision hip replacement surgery is more complicated and time-consuming than first-time total hip replacement surgery. As a result, cost of revision hip surgery is very high in USA, Canada and UK. It would be much more affordable to get your revision hip replacement surgery in India at world class hospitals by board certified orthopedic surgeons.

Why does Revision Hip Replacement become Necessary?

Hip joints are replaced for the first time in patients suffering from severe hip arthritis or trauma. These hip prostheses work very well in the first 15 years for most people. However, by 15 to 20 years, a good number of people will have worn out their prosthesis and will need hip revision surgery.

• Hip replacements can wear out for reasons like infections, damage to the prosthesis, bone breakage around the replacement, etc.
• Obesity can contribute to faster wearing of the hip implant.
• People who undergo hip replacement at a relatively younger age will probably outlive their hip prosthesis. People who are very active are at higher risk. Ceramic hip replacement which has less wear than MoM prosthesis may be of help to this category.
• Another common reason is aseptic loosening which is the loosening of the hip implant inside the bone. This is a painful condition. If there are causes like infections for needing revision surgery, these will have to be taken care of separately before revision surgery is done.
• A US study of 51,000 hip revision surgeries found that dislocation of the initial prosthesis was the reason in 23% of hip revisions while 20% was accounted for by mechanical loosening of the device and another 15% of revisions were needed due to infections.

It must be noted that all individuals who need a revision surgery do not experience symptoms. Conversely every person who experiences some of the symptoms cannot undergo the rigors of revision surgery. A decision in this regard can be made only after a thorough medical examination of the candidate to see if the benefits outweigh the risks.

Advantages and Risks of Revision Hip Replacement

Benefits:

• Pain relief.
• Improved ease in movement.
• Treatment of infection and avoiding further complications.

Disadvantages:

• By the time revision surgery is needed, the person has advanced in age. Quality of the bone becomes an issue due to this.
• With total hip replacement the first time, your orthopedic surgeon would have removed some bone in order to fix the prosthesis. Availability of sufficient bone to secure the revision prosthesis can be a problem.
• In several cases, bone grafts are needed. This involves addition of bone material to reconstruct the acetabulum (hip socket) from where bone was removed to fix the prosthesis. It can be an auto-graft (bone taken from other parts of one’s own body- e.g. pelvis) if the requirement is very small. If more bone is needed, the hip surgeon will use an allograft (donor bone). Due to concerns like contracting HIV or hepatitis, the bone tissue needs to be screened thoroughly for infectious agents and proper processing.
•  After grafting, you are advised to avoid putting weight on the operated hip for three months or so. This time is needed for the graft to grow into solid bone. This can be a lot of hard work and you will need crutches for some time. Patients for revision surgery are typically older and less able to cope with long procedures and blood loss.
• The old, worn out prosthesis has to be removed. This adds to the time and complicated nature of revision hip replacement surgery.

Risks:

• There is a chance of the femur bone fracturing during surgery. If this happens, extra repair measures will be needed.
• The operated leg may end up being shorter or longer than before surgery.
• Mobility and range of motion may be more restricted compared to after first-time replacements.
• You may be unable to regain your normal gait again.
• Dislocation and loosening risk is to be expected in the first three months after operation. Greater pre-operative bone loss and poor quality of bone increase this risk.
• Infection, bleeding, trauma to nerves in the region etc are likely, just like in all surgical procedures.
• Blood clots in legs or lungs can occur due to twisting and trauma of blood vessels.
• Patients with existing heart and lung problems may experience problems related to these.

For all these reasons, a revision hip arthroplasty has to be carefully considered and planned.

Why consider India for Hip Revision Surgeries?

The reasons for India’s popularity as a center for hip revision surgery are:

• The number of revision surgeries performed by the specialist orthopedic surgeons in India is very high compared to that done by their counterparts in the West. This is good news as revision surgeries usually require higher level of expertise and experience for good results.
• The cost is way lower. This, again, is very advantageous as revision surgery is usually performed on older people, whose income may have been reduced or who may be dipping into their savings for this surgery.
• Most insurance plans do not cover revision surgeries.
• Most surgeons have been dealing with Western patients for a long time now. So, there is ease and comfort on both sides.

Cost of Revision Hip Replacement in India

Revision hip surgery is technically more demanding of the surgeon. Only highly experienced hip surgeons undertake to perform this surgery due to increased risk factors. Consequently, revision hip surgery is even more expensive than primary THR. Orthopedic surgeries are highly costly in USA, Canada and UK.

For the medically uninsured population, revision hip surgery in world-class orthopedic hospitals in India can work out much more affordable. Orthopedic surgeons in India have high level of expertise and specialization in surgeries such as hip resurfacing, revision hip surgery and knee arthroplasty.

Total knee replacement is commonly used for elderly people with severe arthritis. However, there are situations where doctors might advise knee replacement for younger people, too.

Knee replacement prostheses can help in situations where the patient is suffering from severe pain of the knee joint and internal medicine is of very little or no help. This is usually a condition associated with wear and tear of knee cartilage that occurs with advanced age.

Younger people can also suffer damage to knee cartilage and subsequent pain, owing to reasons like infections, obesity and accidents/trauma. When this affects the quality of life and when other treatments are not effective, surgeons might consider knee arthroplasty for middle aged and young patients.

Out of the 431,485 knee replacement surgeries that took place in 2004, 8,468 (2%) were performed for people in the 18-44 age group and 157,149 (36.4%) in the 45-64 age group. Over the period between 2000 and 2004, the percentage of knee replacement patients between age 18 and 44 remained at 2% while the percentage for patients aged 45-64 was roughly 33%.

Knee surgery abroad costs much less, as knee surgeons in India, Costa Rica and Mexico have lower overhead costs compared to US surgeons.

How Young is too Young for Knee Surgery?

By conservative estimates, a person who hasn’t still entered his/her sixties is considered too young for knee surgery. The reasons lie in lifestyle patterns rather than biological factors. People in their prime of life tend to be more active, so the replaced joints wear out sooner. This need not be an issue if the patient is careful to stick to low-impact activities.

How is Knee Replacement in Youth Different from Regular Knee Replacement?

Usually, surgeons try to avoid knee replacements in younger people. This is because people lead a more active lifestyle in youth that leads to faster wearing away of the artificial joints. Further, young/ middle aged people have more years to live and chances are very high that they will need second replacements. Revision surgery is more technically difficult and results are not as good as first time replacements.

However, knee prostheses in younger, active patients are durable and effective for about two decades. For instance, in one study conducted in New York in 88 patients aged 55 and below, the success rates were in the range of 84-90% in the first 18 years.

Benefits of Knee Arthroplasty for People in their Prime

Knee replacement surgery can bring enormous benefits to middle aged and young people in terms of quality of life. Young people will want to and need to lead an active life.  Knee replacement can bring relief from debilitating pain and immobility. Benefits of knee arthroplasty include reduced pain and better mobility of the knee joints. Once you have recovered, you will be able to carry out routine activities like walking, shopping and driving.

Mobile-Bearing Prosthesis for Knee Replacement in Younger People

Most people go for fixed-bearing prosthesis. For patients who are young, surgeons may suggest using rotating platform/mobile-bearing knee prosthesis. These are designed for longer performance and less wear. In rotating platform knee implants, the upper and lower components move across a polyethylene insert. This allows for greater flexibility of knee joint movements. Rotating knee replacements can also reduce early wearing. However, compared to fixed-bearing prostheses, rotating implants are not so well equipped to manage imbalances in soft tissues.

Knee prostheses using a new material called Oxinium have been used by some surgeons for the past three years. Advocates of Oxinium claim that it is harder, more scratch-resistant and causes less friction between the femoral part and the plastic tibial surface of the implant, compared to traditional cobalt-chrome prosthesis. However, the long-term efficacy of Oxinium implants is yet to be ascertained.

Non-surgical Treatment Options for Knee Pain in Younger Patients

In knee pain caused by arthritis, treatment starts with exercise, weight management, physical therapy and medications. Exercise and weight management should, under normal circumstances, bring some relief for middle-aged patients with arthritis. Partial or full knee replacement surgery is considered only after these options are exhausted.

Knee Surgery for Younger People Abroad

An increasing number of people from the USA and other western countries are choosing to get their knee replacement in India, Costa Rica or Mexico, thanks to the high-level medical expertise available in these countries at prices much lower than US rates. Total cost of knee joint replacement in Costa Rica, India and Mexico is in the range of $7,000- $13,000 whereas it averages $40,000 in US.

Apart from the cost savings, overseas knee replacement also has the added benefit of being top quality. Well-known hospitals in medical travel destinations like India, Costa Rica and Mexico have highly qualified and experienced medical experts and state-of-the-art facilities. Consider that these hospitals today stand endorsed by thousands of happy people.

Computer-aided knee replacement (also known as computer-assisted knee replacement surgery or computer-aided knee arthroplasty) is attracting a large number of medical tourists to hospitals in India. The less invasive nature of total and partial knee replacement surgeries will go towards increasing their popularity in India.

In this procedure, a computer is installed with medical surgery software and is connected to a surgical infra-red camera and specialized surgical instruments. This knee surgery computer system is used by the surgeon to perform the knee replacement. This allows for more precision and accuracy during the surgery.

The surgeon can see the computer-generated image in real time while performing the operation. The alignment of the knee replacement implant is more accurate (accuracy of 0.5 mm and 0.5 degrees) and predictable compared to how it would be when doing surgery just with naked eyes.

The system acts as a GPS for the human body helping the surgeon by providing real-time navigation information and enhanced 3-D visualization. The International Society for Computer Assisted Orthopaedic Surgery is a non-profit organization working towards the growth of this field.

Other advantages of computer-aided knee replacement surgery are:

• Smaller incisions as it’s a minimally invasive surgery
• Faster recovery
• Less bleeding and lesser chance of blood clotting
• Less pain
• Easy on the patient and doctor
• Reduces chances of human error
• Increased implant longevity as it reduces chances of bad alignment requiring revision surgeries.

The total knee replacement usually lasts about 15 to 20 years. With the computer-assisted orthopedic surgery, the knee replacement can last up to 30 years without needing a replacement.

These advantages are achieved as computer assisted total knee replacement is a minimally invasive surgery (also known as laparoscopic or endoscopic surgery). In these type of surgeries, specialized instruments, monitors, fiber optic lights, miniature cameras and computer monitors are used to perform the surgery through a small incision unlike a traditional surgery which is more invasive.

Although the surgery is performed using a computer system, it does not mean that it can be done by a surgeon with anyless knowledge and experience. The procedure only combines the surgeon’s skill with computer technology.

In India, many surgeons have this expertise and experience. Research shows that not only does the computer-aided knee replacement get better results when compared to conventional knee replacement surgery, but it also significantly reduces chances of error.

With advancements in surgical robotics and computer-assisted surgical navigation, the use of traditional surgery for knee replacement will go down. Computer-assisted knee replacement is definitely the future of knee replacement surgery.

A number of people visit India for this cutting edge medical procedure. Although premier hospitals in USA, Canada and UK offer this latest medical procedure, majority of the hospitals do not do so yet. The associated price & cost of the Knee replacement surgery in India, Costa Rica and Mexico is about 50-80% less that what is in the USA.

Medical Tourism Corporation facilitates computer-assisted (aided) knee surgery in India. The typical price of this surgery in India is about 20% of what it would cost in the USA. This price also includes the estimated travel and lodging expenses that would be incurred.