Joint Replacement

Joint repair and replacement has become one of the fastestgrowing areas of medical tourism. The major draws are the much lower cost and, in some cases, the accessibility to procedures not yet available in the U.S. Three types of joint surgery account for almost all of the activity: hip replacement, knee replacement, and spinal surgery. Arthroscopy and repair of ligaments is less popular, partly because this is usually the result of trauma, and the injured person wants to have it done right away. But even in trauma situations, a savvy person can save a lot of money by going overseas. Consider, for example, a skier who wrenches her knee and needs an ACL repair. This type of sprain is very common in athletes, but total costs for the repair can easily be over $5,000. If she does not have insurance, she will have to pay the entire amount out of pocket. In many other countries, she could have this done for less than $1,000. Hip replacements for medical tourists have become such big business in Thailand and India that many hospitals are now specializing in this.