Shoulder Resurfacing Surgery Costs in Mexico, Costa Rica, India & Belgium

Shoulder resurfacing Surgery Cost Package: 8,000 to 10,000 U.S. Dollars
{The shoulder resurfacing surgery cost covers all medical & logistics costs at destination}

Costa Rica [USA Joint Commission International Accredited Hospital]
India [Harvard Medical Affiliated & USA Joint Commission Accredited Hospital]
Mexico [World Class Hospitals]
Belgium [Top Orthopedic Surgery Centers]

Arthritis of the shoulder is a devastating condition that seriously compromises the comfort and function of the shoulder. When the symptoms of shoulder arthritis are severe, shoulder joint replacement becomes a consideration.

Shoulder resurfacing surgery allows patients to retain much of their natural tissue, by replacing only the diseased part of the joint instead of the entire joint. Shoulder Resurfacing surgery is less invasive, less traumatic and more bone preserving.

Naturally there is much less tissue damage and faster and better rehabilitation. The reconstitution of the arthritic shoulder joint is much closer to normal after shoulder resurfacing operation. Hence results of resurfacing are much better in terms of range of movement and function.

Patient Care before Shoulder Resurfacing

Before the surgery it is important that the patient inform the treating team and the anesthetist about any medical problems. The patient can opt for a pre-op assessment clinic for this purpose and to have a full medical check-up. This will ensure that other health problems patient may have, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, will be treated before surgery.

Patients will have their blood count and biochemistry checked together with the blood inflammatory markers which are used to monitor the activity of rheumatoid arthritis and check up on infection. A neck x-ray prior to surgery is recommended to patients with rheumatoid arthritis it can cause instability in the cervical spine.

If the patient is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis then their medical management should be optimized by the rheumatologist. The rheumatologist may also treat them with medications such as calcium and bisphosphonates to improve bone density.

Smoking patients should stop smoking few days before the shoulder resurfacing surgery as smoking increases the risk of a surgical complication following any procedure and total joint replacement is more likely to be problematic in a smoker.

If patients have a significant hip or knee problem this should be sorted out before any upper limb surgery is performed.

Shoulder Resurfacing Surgery

Shoulder resurfacing surgery is almost always carried out under a general anesthetic. Using an incision, the shoulder joint is opened from the front of the shoulder. The incision runs on average 15cm (6 inches) down the front of the shoulder. The deltoid (big muscle on the outside of the shoulder) is retracted and the tendons of some of the small muscles are released to allow access to the front of the shoulder.

When the shoulder is opened the surface of the head of the humerus comes into view. The arthritic bone surface is removed with a device resembling a spherical cheese grater. The metal resurfacing component is then fitted to the head or ball at the top of the humerus.

Some doctors do trial implants, which are fitted to the head of the humerus to check that the shoulder joint will run nicely when the final component is in place. After the trial the final metal component is tapped into place. The metal component is lined with a substance containing calcium (similar to natural bone). At the end of the operation the tendons are stitched and the wound is closed using skin staples for the skin.

People generally stay in hospital for around five days but some patients may need to stay for up to 10 days. After this time, patients will be able to walk with sticks or crutches. Before going home, the nurse will advise about caring for stitches, hygiene and bathing.

Patient Care after shoulder resurfacing

Following the surgery the anesthetist will place a drip in the patient’s arm. Patient may have a nerve block catheter to numb the pain in the arm so that patient does not have to have such a strong general anesthetic.
The skin will be closed with metal clips and there are no drains used. Depending on the comfort level of the patient a stick-on dressing on the skin and the shoulder is supported either in a grey forearm sling or alternatively a pink elasticized strap around the wrist. Following the surgery the patient’s shoulder is mobilized initially with help from the physiotherapist.

Some things must be remembered by the patients after the shoulder resurfacing surgery. Turning the shoulder outwards puts stress on the repair of the front the capsule so it is advised not to twist the forearm forcibly outwards. Also, do not try to lift very heavy weights at an early stage as this puts strain on the repair of the tendons attached to the corocoid at the front of the shoulder.

Fourteen days after the shoulder resurfacing surgery, the clips are removed from the skin. By this time patient should be capable of small mobility like walking around the house and starting to exercise the shoulder under patient’s own steam. After two weeks patient can normally remove whatever sling or support they have been wearing in the days following the shoulder resurfacing surgery.

A good 6-8 weeks rest is recommended before doing things like driving car or other motor vehicles. Obviously if the patient has an automatic life is a little simpler, particularly if it was the left shoulder that was resurfaced. In the following weeks the patient will start to get a clear idea in their minds when their elbow is strong enough to control the car.

Shoulder replacement V/S Shoulder Resurfacing

Shoulder replacement is less common, but it is just as successful in relieving joint pain and, over the years, has come to be used for many painful conditions of the shoulder.

In a conventional shoulder replacement, the damaged parts of the joint comprising the shoulder joint are completely removed and replaced with a metal and plastic prosthesis. The metal portion is then buried into the shaft of the arm bone (humerus). It has a stem and ball shaped end. The material used to make the socket is polyethylene with a metal back and stem is buried into the outer end of the shoulder blade.

The primary problem with total shoulder replace is that normal bone is sacrificed during surgery unnecessarily. There is a possibility that the bone might fracture during surgery and even after surgery. This is because the bone is reamed and a big stem is inserted sometimes. This is a very difficult problem to treat.

Shoulder Resurfacing Procedure is minimal invasive, less traumatic and more bone preserving procedure. The hospitalization in this case is much lesser than required in Total shoulder Replacement.

Shoulder Resurfacing is a better option than Total Shoulder Replacement when only one part of the joint is diseased. Shoulder Resurfacing preserves most of the natural tissues by replacing only the affected part of the joint baring the rest of the part to retain as natural.

There are many other advantages of shoulder resurfacing surgery over conventional shoulder replacement. Shoulder resurfacing allows restoration of normal anatomy and normal loading of the bone. There is no risk of fat embolus and the shoulder resurfacing can be done even if the bone is deformed.

Low Cost Shoulder Resurfacing in India, Mexico and Costa Rica

For some patients suffering from shoulder complications and damage in U.S. and U.K. shoulder resurfacing operation is usually very expensive. In such cases, patients can opt to go for shoulder resurfacing operation in countries like Mexico, India and Costa Rica.

The cost for shoulder resurfacing surgery in these countries comes at a fraction of the costs in U.S. and U.K. Medical Tourism Corporation’s network of hospitals can provide you shoulder resurfacing operation from USD 8,000 to 10,000.

This package includes hospital stay, lab tests, anesthesia, operation theater fees, doctors fees, ride to & from the hospital, ride to & from recovery center, medicines etc.

Related links:

Shoulder Replacement Abroad
Rotator cuff repair abroad
Medical Tourism Corporation facilitates affordable shoulder resurfacing operation abroad at many international locations including Mexico, India & Costa Rica. Fill out the free estimate request form for a free quote & more information.