Opting for knee surgery in Tijuana - a prominent Mexican border city can help you cut costs substantially. If you are from America or Canada, you can save on the travel also, as the closest American airport (in San Diego) to the border town is just 20 mins away. Also, you can look forward to quality care at the hands of experienced surgeons. Read on to know more.
Knee Pain
Benefits of Choosing Tijuana for Knee Surgery
Some of the benefits of choosing knee surgery in Tijuana are:
1. Pocket Friendly: The average cost of knee surgery in Tijuana is 30-50% less than in the US and Canada.
2. Time-saving: It saves time and money, as Tijuana is just 17 miles from San Diego, California. Schedule your surgery without any waiting time involved.
3. State-of-the-art healthcare: Get the best care at ultra-modern surgery centers. Get treated by one of the best orthopedic surgeons in Tijuana and Mexico.
4. Easy to reach: Tijuana is located right at the border of San Diego, California. It makes traveling easy as it is 35 mins. drive from San Diego International Airport.
Cost of Knee Surgery in Tijuana vs. the USA
Here is a comparative table of the cost of Medical Tourism Corporation’s (MTC) knee surgery in Tijuana packages and their corresponding average American prices:
| Procedure | Tijuana | USA |
| Knee Replacement | $10,500 | $45,000 |
| Meniscus Repair (arthroscopic) | $7,700 | $19,500 |
| ACL Reconstruction | $7,700 | $35,000 |
| PCL Reconstruction | $4,935 | $24,149 |
| Knee Cartilage Resurfacing | $10,500 | $18,000 |
*The prices mentioned above are subject to change without prior notification.
Top Hospital for Knee Replacement in Tijuana
Tijuana has top-rated hospitals. Experience in treating medical tourists from the US, UK, and Canada. They have the technology and highly skilled doctors and support staff.
Tijuana has hospitals like:
The hospital offers various treatment options, including general surgery, orthopedic surgery, bariatric surgery, and alternative cancer treatment services.
Over 100,000 people from 60+ nations have chosen it fo
- 60 Years of Excellence
- 100k Patients
- BBB Accreditated
- Delivering results for the last 50 years.
- Has treated more than 1,00,000 people from over 60 countries.
- A 30-minute drive from San Diego airport.
- Customized facilities to meet specific requirements.
- On-site lab for quick results.
- Diagnostic imaging.
- Modern operating rooms and equipment.
Best Knee Surgeons in Tijuana
MTC aims to provide the best medical care to its clients. It works with Tijuana's best doctors and surgeons.
Doctors have over 30 years of experience and are members of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS).
Dr. Hans Ruiz Serna
9+ years
MD Orthopedics
Expertise
Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery
Education
Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS), Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
- Performed over 2000 orthopedic surgeries
- Specialist in Orthopedic Medicine: National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)
- Current Practice: Specialist in traumatology and orthopedics – IMSS Regional General Hospital, Tijuana
- Courses: Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course (2017), IMSS Management Development subprogram course (2018), Master in Directive Management of Health Institutions (2018-2020)
Read more about Dr. Hans Ruiz Serna here!
When Do You Need a Knee Replacement?
Some cases when you need to think about having a knee replacement surgery:[1]
- Pain or stiffness impacts daily activities like walking, climbing stairs, resting, etc.
- Chronic knee swelling that does not improve from rest or the use of medicine.
- Knee deformity (bowing in or out of knee).
Types of Knee Surgeries
Some of the commonly sought knee ortho treatments are as follows:
Removing the damaged weight-bearing parts of the knee. The surface of the knee is then shaved off and shaped to attach an artificial knee joint.
Depending on the degree of damage, the surgeon might suggest total knee replacement (TKR) or partial knee replacement (PKR) surgery.
The hospital stay after the surgery is 3 - 5 days
Menisci are the two wedge-shaped cushions that provide support to the knee joints. Meniscal tear is a widespread sports injury. Older people may also suffer from meniscus tears because of weakened or worn-out cartilage.
A pop sound is often heard when a meniscus tears. This will be accompanied by pain, stiffness, and swelling of the knees with a limited range of motion.
The surgeon will insert a tiny camera into the knee to view and remove or repair the damaged part of the meniscus.
Your knee will be set in a hinged knee brace to restrict its movement.
An Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is one of the main ligaments of the knee that join the femur and tibia. Injuries to the ACL are pretty common.
Repairing ACL injuries by sewing together the torn edges usually does not succeed. Torn ACLs are usually supplanted with grafts comprising tendons.
The grafts used in ACL reconstruction are autografts (which come from the patient’s own body), taken from the quadriceps tendon, hamstring, or quadriceps. Allografts (taken from cadavers) may also be used in some cases.
The Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) is also one of the primary ligaments of the knee that connect the thigh bone with the shinbone.
The bent knee causes PCL injuries due to an accident or a fall. Torn PCL often heals on its own. A reconstruction will have to be carried out if you have suffered from injuries in other ligaments.
A torn PCL is usually not sewn together because the results might not last long. Hence, surgeons replace it with grafts taken from other body parts or cadavers.
Cartilage cushions cover parts of the knee joint where bones meet. Articular cartilage damage can result in pain, inflammation, and decreased motion.
Cartilage damage can happen from a direct blow, a bad fall, wear and tear over a long time, and even inactivity.
Knee Surgery Itinerary
The table below has the details of the stay at the hospital after a specific surgery. You can create your travel plan accordingly.
| Procedure | Duration of surgery | Recovery |
| Total Knee Replacement | 2 - 3 Hours | 3 - 5 Days |
| Partial Knee Replacement | 1 - 2 Hours | 1 - 2 Days |
| ACL | 2 - 3 Hours | 2 - 3 Days |
| Meniscus Repair | 2 - 3 Hours | 2 - 3 Days |
Medical Tourism in Tijuana, Mexico
Here is a brief guide to your destination for knee surgery in Tijuana, Mexico:
Documents Required
If you are from America or Canada, you need a valid passport or passport card to cross Mexico's borders.
You can stay for 72 hours without a visa or a tourist card if you stay within 20-30 kilometers of the border crossing (also called the border zone).
To venture farther from the 20 km border zone limit, you will have to obtain a tourist card called FMM.
Border Crossing
You will have to cross the San Ysidro Port of Entry to enter Tijuana from the American side.
The port of entry is open 24 hours a day. San Ysidro Station Contact No.: (619) 639-7100
Weather
The region experiences pleasant weather all year round because it is close to the Pacific Ocean.
The average temperature hovers around 70 degrees F. The hottest month is August (71 °F) and December (57 °F) is the coldest.[2]
International Airport Serving the City
Mexico's border town has its international airport (code: TIJ), only about 6 km from the city's heart.
Closest American Airports
Some of the nearest American airports to the Mexican border town are:
- San Diego International Airport (SAN): 18.39 miles (22 mins drive)
- John Wayne Airport (SNA) – Santa Ana, CA: 100.6 miles (1 hr 32 mins drive)
- Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) – Palm Springs, CA: 142.29 miles (2 hrs 23 mins drive)
Distance from American cities to San Ysidro (Sentri Lane)
- Chula Vista, CA: 9.81 miles (15 mins drive)
- Irvine, CA: 98.79 miles (1 hr 31 mins drive)
- Long Beach, CA: 126.76 miles (1 hr 55 mins drive)
- Los Angeles, CA: 134.38 miles (2 hrs 4 mins drive)
- Yuma, Arizona: 179.57 miles (2hrs 41 mins drive)
- Las Vegas, Nevada: 344.86 miles (5 hrs drive)
- Phoenix, Arizona: 362.88 miles (5hrs 21 mins drive)
- Tempe, Arizona: 370.33 miles (5hrs 27 mins drive)
MTC at Your Service
By choosing MTC to facilitate your knee surgery in Tijuana, you can look forward to getting total value for your money. Our knee surgery packages include:
- Full travel assistance, including help in booking air tickets and visa and passport expedience.
- Destination manager ready to assist 24*7.
- Free airport pick-up.
- Pre and post-treatment.
- Hotel stays at low prices.
And a lot more!
Reviews of Knee Surgery in Tijuana
Angeles M., USKnee Surgery, Tijuana, Mexico
I completely recommend Dr. Hans!
He explained to me very well what my problem was and gave me a good solution; I completely recommend Dr. Hans.
Marlene Pineda, USKnee Surgery, Tijuana
Satisfactory treatment!
Very friendly and professional treatment, we will go again to give the proper follow-up to my mother.
FAQ's Knee Surgery in Tijuana
The cost of knee surgery in Tijuana usually starts at $3000 for knee replacement and does not cross $10,000, even for major treatments. Knee surgery costs in Tijuana are a small part of the costs in the US and Canada.
If you do your research, follow travel advice, and choose top-rated knee surgeons in Tijuana. You should be completely safe.
Just think about this for one moment – if it were not safe, 1 million Americans would not be making the trip to Mexico for low-cost treatment each year.[3]CISION PR newswire
Medical Tourism Mexico: High Quality, Affordable Prices
“Mexico is one of the top-rated destinations for medical tourism,... According to the Medical Tourism Association, 8 out of 10 travellers who visit Mexico for medical procedures are American.”
View in Article
A knee replacement surgery takes time to heal fully, a minimum of 3 to 4 days. Staff at the hospital will help you take the first step as a part of the post-surgery recovery process.
Your surgeon may ask you to take physiotherapy. It will help you heal faster, as it can improve muscle tone. The patient may experience some pain and swelling, but this will reduce with time.
With better surgeons, technology, and better physical recovery after surgery, knee replacements can last at least 10 to 15 years.[4]Harvard Health Publishing
How long will my hip or knee replacement last?
“But we do have an idea of how long a joint replacement will last based on data from past surgeries.... We still quote similar numbers. But it might be better than that.”
View in Article Sometimes it may last for a lifetime without any problem.
Conclusion
Knee Surgery in Tijuana will improve your health and quality of life. If your insurance does not give you cover in your home country, then Tijuana is the best option for you to have - safe and low-cost knee surgery.
References
1. AAOS: When Surgery Is Recommended
2. Weather Spark: Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Tijuana
3. CISION PR newswire: Medical Tourism Mexico: High Quality, Affordable Prices
4. Harvard Health Publishing: How long will my hip or knee replacement last?