The medical tourism industry is making an exceptional progression in India. In October 2015, it was estimated to be US$3 million, which is likely to grow at a CAGR of 200% and is expected to be US$9 million by 2020.

India is becoming a preferred destination for medical tourism because of high-quality healthcare services provided to patients coming across the globe by world-class hospitals across the country. The in-demand specialties are cardiology, orthopedics, including joint replacement surgery, nephrology where savings for in-bound patients may increase from 30 to 70 percent.

India – a fertile ground for Orthopedics treatment!

India’s medical sector offers numerous budget-friendly medical choices to patients worldwide. It has highly-qualified and well-experienced surgeons that cater to successful orthopedic surgeries with top-notch facilities.

For instance, if we talk about knee surgery, then 85 to 90 percent of total knee replacement procedures performed tend to be successful for 10 to 15 years. However, it may also depend on the patient’s overall condition. It has been possible because this treatment is in-demand and has the highest success rate amongst the best orthopedic hospitals in India that are well-equipped with the advanced, cutting-edge technologies.

What is the average life expectancy of a total knee replacement?

As knee replacement surgery is a major one, it is mainly performed to resurface the knee joints and its surrounding parts that are damaged due to traumatic arthritis, injury, musculoskeletal trauma, infections, tumors, degenerative diseases, spine disorders, etc. These joints and parts are replaced with knee implants that are made up of metal or plastic. Depending on the type and quality of implant used, these implanted artificial knees are in a working mode even after 20 years.

Age also has a crucial factor in making surgeries successful and people who undergo a knee replacement are mostly between the ages of 50 and 80.

How much does orthopedic surgery cost in India?

India has skillful surgeons who are well-versed with a full spectrum of orthopedic disorders such as knee replacement, ACL construction, shoulder replacement/rotator cut-off repair, hip replacement, ankle replacement, or several spinal disorders.

Therefore, if we take an example of knee replacement surgery, then it ranges between USD 4000 to USD 6000 for a single knee and costs around USD 8400-12,000 for both knees depending on the needs tailored to your body. The pricing also depends on the type of implant used. If it is US FDA improved implants, then it may cost a bit higher. On the other hand, the cost may be lowered by 30% for an Indian implant.

Which is the most common orthopedic procedure carried out in India?

Orthopedic surgeries are the surgical treatment to correct skeleton-related problems including ligaments, tendons, muscles, dislocations, sports hernia, overuse injuries, impingement, sprains, joint repair/replacement or replacing degenerated joints. Such orthopedic disorders can affect anyone from infants to younger adults to older adults.

Approximately 85 percent of artificial knees implanted are in working mode even after 20 years. In a majority of cases, people between the ages of 50 to 80 undergo knee replacement surgery to lead a healthy life again and relief from chronic pain.

Why is knee replacement needed?

Knee replacement, which is also known as arthroplasty, is a complicated surgical procedure to replace the damaged knee joint with artificial knee joints of metal and plastic. You may need to undergo knee replacement surgery if you have:

• Severe, chronic knee pain that refrains you from performing daily activities and disturbs your sleep.

• Swollen and stiff knee joint that you can’t even sit or stand properly.

A knee replacement lets you live an active life with little to no pain. It is recommended when all other treatments fail, such as physiotherapy, steroid injections, etc.

What are the different types of knee replacement surgery?

There are four main types of knee replacement surgery available. Depending on the patient’s condition, they are:

1. Total knee replacement: It involves the replacement of joint surface at the end of your thigh bone and the top of your shinbone. If required, it also includes replacing under-surface of your knee cap.

2. Unicompartmental partial knee replacement: If osteoarthritis has affected parts of your knee, mostly inner side, then partial knee replacement is conducted.

3. Kneecap replacement, also known as patellofemoral arthroplasty: It involves the replacement of kneecap and its groove.

4. Revision or complex knee replacement: There are many reasons responsible for revised knee replacement. It is mainly second or third time replacement when the first time surgery fails due to severe arthritis, loosened implanted device, etc.

When is knee replacement recommended?

Although there are various health conditions responsible for the knee replacement; however, some of the major causes are:

• Health conditions like knee osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, severe knee injury.

• Severe pain even while resting.

• Chronic knee inflammation that remains unaffected with physiotherapy, steroids, etc.

• Knee deformity

• Stiff knee that stops from doing usual activities like walking, sitting, standing, climbing stairs, etc.

What are the possible complications of knee replacement?

Like any other surgery, there are chances of developing risks in knee replacement as well and they are:

• Wound infection

• Stiffness

• Bone fracture/dislocation

• Infection of the joint replacement which may lead to another surgery

• Formation of blood clots in the deep veins in the leg

• Artery, ligament or nerve damage around the knee joint

• Persistent pain in the knee

Apart from these, you may react to anaesthesia which is rare. However, these rare complications may develop according to your age and current health state that you need to discuss with your specialist.

What are the benefits of knee replacement?

As knee replacement is a surgical treatment, therefore, it has several benefits related to it and they are:

• Increased mobility

• Little to no pain

• Back to usual lifestyle

It has been concluded that people who undergo knee replacement surgery are quite happy with the results and associated benefits.

How long does it take to recover from a knee replacement?

As knee replacement is major surgery, it takes up to six weeks to resume a healthy, usual life. It takes six months to a year to fully recover from a knee replacement and lead a healthy life.

What is the cost of knee replacement surgery in India?

Knee replacement surgery cost in India varies accordingly. It costs USD 4000 to USD 6000 for a single knee and USD 8400 to USD 12000 for both knees. The price also includes the type & material of implant used, type of surgery, surgeon’s experience, hospital fees followed by rehabilitation process.

Final Thoughts:

Knee replacement is a successful surgical treatment that lets patients live an active life free from chronic knee pain.

A knee replacement surgery is an orthopedic procedure done to restore function and relieve the pain of the knee joint. The damaged portion of the bone is removed and replaced with an artificial prosthesis made of metal alloys, high-grade plastics, and polymers.

When is a knee replacement needed?

Total knee replacement is the ultimate and final treatment option when all other forms of therapies have failed. Usually, the following signs associated with the knee pain indicate that the patient needs a knee replacement surgery,

• Knee pain interfering with sleep, which is not relieved with rest.

• Knee pain causing hindrance in walking, getting in and out of a chair, or climbing stairs.

• Failure of the pain-relieving medications to provide relief.

• Knee pain associated with swelling, which does not subside by any treatment and limits the mobility of the joint.

• Bowing of the knee, in or out.

List of the best knee replacement hospitals in India

BLK Super Speciality Hospital

• Established in 1959, inaugurated by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the hospital is accredited by NABH and NABL.

• State-of-the-art facilities available for the knee replacement surgery, total knee arthroplasty and joint replacement surgery.

• There is a specialized section offering treatment to sports injuries with several rehabilitation programs.

• Other than the knee, arthroscopic procedures for shoulder, elbow, ankle, knee, and hip injuries are done along with domiciliary rehabilitation and post-surgery services.

• Equipped with 17 well equipped modern operation theatres and 650 beds.

Leading doctor –

• Dr. Rakesh Mahajan is the director of orthopedics department in BLK hospital with an experience of more than 15 years.

• He is specially trained in reconstructive surgeries in adults for knee, hip, and shoulder.

Indraprastha Apollo hospital

• Established in 1996, Apollo hospital is accredited with NABH, NABHL, and JCI.

• This is the pioneer of knee replacement surgery in India.

• It is also the first hospital to perform 150 knee replacement surgeries in the remote village of Aragonda.

• A successful bilateral total knee arthroplasty in a single sitting was conducted on a 93 years old man at the hospital recently.

• It offers approximately 10,000 beds across 64 hospitals and more than 2200 pharmacies.

Leading doctor –

• Dr. Chandra Shekar is a leading orthopedic surgeon in the hospital, having an experience of over 30 years.

• He specializes in knee joint replacement,  hip joint replacement surgeries, and associated revision surgeries.

Max Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi

• This is the first hospital to receive “stage 6” recognition from HIMSS.

• Established in 2001, it is accredited with NABH, NABL, and ISO 9001:2000.

• The hospital has been awarded the Healthcare award for Operational Excellence in Environmental conservation.

• Several complex procedures are routinely performed such as computer-assisted joint replacement surgery, arthroscopic surgery, traumatic orthopedic surgery, hand, shoulder and elbow surgery, spine surgery, articular surface replacement hip surgery, etc.

Leading doctor –

• Dr. Bhatiprollu S. Murthy is a senior orthopedic and joint replacement surgeon at the hospital with more than 22 years of experience.

• His special interest lies in knee arthritis, hip arthritis, the joint replacement for knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, and arthroscopic surgeries for shoulder and knee.

Primus Super specialty hospital, New Delhi

• Primus Hospital conducts 3000 surgeries annually and treats approximately 45,000 OPD patients.

• It specializes in orthopedics, brain & spine surgeries, rehabilitation, IVF procedures, ENT surgeries, etc.

• It has performed the maximum number of joint replacements for arthritis patients in North India.

• The orthopedic department has set a world record by successfully performing a partial hip replacement surgery on a 107 years old woman.

Leading doctor

• Dr. Surya Bhan, former head of orthopedics department at AIIMS, is the leading orthopedic surgeon at the hospital.

• He is a globally renowned orthopedic surgeon with an experience of nearly 30 years.

• He has performed nearly 20,000 joint replacement surgeries so far.

Medanta hospital, Gurgaon

• Established in 2009, the hospital is accredited by NABH and NABL.

• The orthopedic department is well-equipped with modern technologies such as computer navigation system, O-Arm, Alpha Operation theatre, arthroscopic equipment, 4D Myelin Dynamic Posture, and Motion Analysis.

• It has set a world record for conducting the highest number of Total Knee replacement surgeries (30) in the least amount of time.

• It has done nearly 2500 knee replacement surgeries so far.

Leading doctor –

• Dr. SKS Marya is a leading orthopedic surgeon with an experience of more than 36 years.

• He has performed nearly 15,000 joint replacement surgeries so far, out of which 3500 are total knee replacement surgery.

• He was also awarded the AO Trauma Fellowship in Switzerland.

Cost of knee replacement in India

India is known for providing high-quality treatment at affordable costs. Despite the affordable prices, we provide you the hospitals with the latest infrastructure and highly-skilled doctors. The knee replacement surgery cost in India usually revolves around 4000 USD. However, this may vary depending upon several upon several factors. These factors include:

• The hospital and the city

• Number of days in the hospital

• Pre-operative and post-operative costs

• The expertise of the surgeon

• Type of implant

• Surgical technique

• Physiotherapy and rehabilitation cost

• Cost of medications