Endoprosthetics of joints abroad

Endoprosthetics of joints abroad

Full or partial replacement of a joint with an artificial prosthesis is called endoprosthetics or arthroplasty. This is an effective and most often the only method to restore limb function.

In countries with a high level of medicine, such operations have been carried out since the 70s - 80s of the last century and have already become classics for the treatment of severe articular pathologies.

In total, more than one and a half million joint prosthetics operations are performed worldwide every year. According to statistics, the effectiveness of such operations abroad is almost one hundred percent.

Joint replacement surgery abroad is often the only chance for a person to avoid a wheelchair and return to a fulfilling life. Due to the latest techniques, foreign surgeons perform prosthetics of a damaged joint with the least risk to the patient.

Diagnostics allows you to choose the most optimal variant of prosthetics; using computer modeling, prosthesis is selected that most closely matches the diseased joint. Thanks to gentle technologies, recovery from surgery takes only a couple of days. The full range of movements returns to the person. No one will notice that the patient has undergone arthroplasty.

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When is endoprosthetics recommended?

Joint replacement is recommended in the following cases:

  • If the joint loses most of its functions, which leads to the patient's disability;
  • If there is severe pain during movement, when a person is forced to take large doses of painkillers daily;
  • When a false joint is formed as a result of unsuccessful fracture treatment;
  • With dystrophic changes in the joints that have arisen due to age or after an infectious disease;
  • With the wear of the joints under the influence of heavy loads, the consequences of injuries. This is especially true for professional athletes.

Important! Endoprosthetics operations are contraindicated if the patient has cardiovascular and oncological diseases, even in remission. A temporary contraindication is infectious diseases, even a simple rhinitis.

Benefits of joint replacement abroad

Joint replacement in foreign clinics

Joint replacement in foreign clinics is based on the most modern achievements of orthopedics and traumatology, is carried out at a high professional level, even if the patient was previously unsuccessfully treated in other clinics.

It is worth deciding to replace joints abroad because:

  • Such operations are performed only by highly qualified surgeons with extensive experience in endoprosthetics;
  • Thanks to new technologies, during the examination, it is possible to determine exactly what state the joint is in, and whether the operation for its full or partial prosthetics is appropriate
  • Sparing techniques significantly reduce blood loss during surgery, significantly reduce its pain for the patient. With the help of special equipment for tracking the progress of the operation, the risk of a doctor's mistake is minimized;
  • Prostheses made using new technologies fully restore all joint functions. A patient with an endoprosthesis from the outside is no different from a person with a healthy joint, he can perform the same movements;
  • After the operation, the patient recovers very quickly. The very next day he can get out of bed.

Which joints are replaced abroad?

You can find specialists in arthroplasty abroad for any required type of intervention. Most often, such joints are replaced:

  1. The hip joint. Before surgery, the patient is prescribed a course of therapy to relieve inflammation. During the operation, general anesthesia is used. An incision is made from the side or back to provide access to the joint to be replaced. The operation proceeds with minimal blood loss; in a month, the patient will be able to return to work, if it does not involve large physical overload;
  2. Knee-joint. Modern knee prostheses give a person the ability to bend and unbend the knee, walk just like healthy people;
  3. Shoulder joint. Replacing it is a difficult operation, since there are many nerve endings and blood vessels in the immediate vicinity. But modern techniques make it possible to carry out such an operation without complications;
  4. Ankle joint. This is a very difficult operation. The task of the surgeon is not to damage the nerves and tendons that are nearby when replacing a joint. Special navigation equipment that monitors the accuracy of manipulations significantly reduces the risk to the patient;
  5. Elbow joint. The consequences of this operation are minimized. The doctor makes a very small incision, the postoperative scar will be invisible. This is especially important for women. Local anesthesia is applied, after 2 days the patient is discharged.

Types of joint replacement in foreign clinics

Before a joint replacement operation is performed abroad, a complete diagnosis is performed to determine the extent of its damage. Based on the results of the examination, doctors decide which type of prosthetics to use.

Depending on the condition of the damaged joint, the following types of endoprosthetics are used:

Resurfacing (partial joint replacement)

In this case, one of the joint elements is replaced. An example of an operation - instead of damaged cartilage, a cap made of polymer is placed on the surface of the damaged joint, the properties of which are indistinguishable from those of natural cartilage tissue.

This operation is performed when other parts of the joint are in good condition. Due to the implant with a smooth surface, the joint can withstand significant loads, the cartilage prosthesis saves the joint from further damage.

Resurfacing is not as traumatic as a full joint replacement. And its cost in foreign clinics is much cheaper than for total endoprosthetics. Resurfacing is recommended for osteoarthritis and when full prosthetics is contraindicated for the patient.

For information! There is another type of partial joint prosthesis - hemiarthroplasty. This is an articular head of joint replacement. This operation is used if only the head is damaged (for example, after an injury), other parts of the joint are healthy. Hemiarthroplasty is mainly used when the patient is young and allows him to live an active life in the future. The articular head endoprosthesis is made of durable metal and can withstand heavy loads.

Total arthroplasty (total joint replacement)

It is used if the joint is completely destroyed, and its restoration is impossible. Parts of the prosthesis: titanium "stem", metal head and polymer cavity.

Before the operation, doctors create a 3D model of the joint on a computer to select a prosthesis that would match the person's own joint as much as possible. Modern implants with increased strength can serve up to thirty years.

The prosthesis is compatible biologically with the tissues of its owner and is not rejected by the body. According to the reviews of patients who have undergone joint replacement in foreign clinics, complications during surgery are extremely rare and do not exceed 5%, and the high quality and durability of prostheses has been confirmed by time.

During the procedure, in foreign clinics, the most gentle methods are used so that the patient's rehabilitation takes a minimum of time. Usually the next day the patient gets out of bed and can walk around the room.

During rehabilitation, the patient is prescribed a course of massage, physiotherapy exercises, physiotherapy. The load on the joint should be increased gradually. Then the wound will heal faster, muscle tone and blood circulation will be restored.

Joint replacement cost abroad

Prices for joint replacement abroad depend on which organ requires arthroplasty, the degree of joint destruction, the type of prosthesis (total or partial), and the degree of complexity of the operation.

Usually, the clinical picture is cleared up after a thorough diagnosis, at the same time a medical consultation is gathered and builds up the tactics of the operation.

Important! The cost of joint replacement includes the qualitative characteristics of the prosthesis. Do not forget that biocompatible and reliable prostheses from renowned global manufacturers are expensive.

It should be noted that the minimally invasive surgery is more expensive than the classical one, since it requires the participation of highly qualified personnel and the use of expensive specialized equipment.

The latest diagnostic techniques (3D visualization and others) also affect the cost of treatment.

The cost of treatment is increased by the number of days the patient is in the hospital, the number of procedures during rehabilitation.

It is worth considering - in different countries and even in several clinics of the same country, the cost of joint replacement can vary significantly. The same operation, and performed with the same quality, may have a different cost. As an example, below are the prices for hip and knee arthroplasty (the most popular surgeries).

 

Israel

Germany

Latvia

Poland

Hip joint endoprothesis

$17500

$18000

$7500

$7000

Knee joint endoprothesis

$18500

$19500

$8500

$8000

Violetta Yanyshevska
Violetta YanyshevskaAuthor and medical editor