Knee replacement surgery in India carries out in a number of different hospitals, including private and government-aided institutions. Also known as knee arthroplasty, the surgery Is carried out to replace the parts of the knee joints that bear weight, which gets worn out because of an injury or other conditions such as osteoarthritis of the knee and psoriatic or rheumatoid arthritis.

What is the cost of knee replacement surgery in India?

The unilateral knee replacement cost in India is around $4800, while it costs above $30000 in the US. The cost of bilateral knee replacement is around $7800 in India. Typically, ACL reconstruction cost varies between $3500 and $5000 in India. Meanwhile, the same procedure can cost as much as $20000 in the US.

It is estimated that more than 600,000 people around the world undergo knee replacement each year. According to statistics, more than 90 percent of the patients report an increase in knee function and improvement in knee pain after the procedure.

knee replacement in india

A majority of such patients is able to return back to their normal routine in a few months after the procedure, and are also able to perform moderately strenuous activities such as swimming, bicycling and golfing. However, the recovery may differ from patient to patient.

Who is the best candidate for knee replacement surgery? 

A thorough screening is conducted before the doctor decides to approve a patient for knee replacement surgery. Typically, patients with chronic and persistent pain, stiffness and instability in the knee are selected for the procedure. In addition, patients with deformation (bow legs or knocked knees) that affects proper functioning of the knee also undergo knee transplant surgery.

The pain in the knees is usually so severe that it affects proper functioning of the knees and hinders with activities. Patients suffering from damage to the knees because of conditions such as osteoarthritis, post-traumatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are also required to undergo knee transplantation surgery to regain their functioning.

Replacement of the knees is considered to be the most effective option for the elderly and the injured to stand back on their legs again. The recovery after the surgery may be slow. However, it is still considered as a miracle as it helps people suffering from arthritis of the knee get rid of intense pain. In a way, it gives a new life to the patients.

Read  6 Common Questions to Ask Before a Knee Surgery

What happens before knee replacement surgery?

Smoking and consuming alcohol interfere with healing and slows down recovery. In addition, smoking is known to alter the flow of blood. Therefore, patients are advised to stop smoking and consuming alcohol days before the day of surgery.

An orthopedic examination, along with a few medical and diagnostic tests and general medical evaluation may be conducted a few weeks before the surgery. This is done to evaluate the overall health status of the patients and to identify factors that may pose a risk or lead to any complication during the surgery. The orthopedic examination helps doctor design an approach for the surgery.

Patients are expected to inform their doctors about any present illnesses, the medical history and the type of medications that they have been taking. Certain classes of drugs such as corticosteroids, anti-coagulants and those used for the management of diabetes may interfere with the surgery or delay recovery. Therefore, patients can expect doctors to change, stop or alter the dosage temporarily before and after the procedure.

Knee Replacement Surgery in India

Knee replacement surgery in India is conducted in a number of ways. The different types of knee replacement surgery conducted in India include:

  • Total knee replacement: In this type of surgery, the damaged joint, surrounding cartilages and the bone are completely removed and replaced with either plastic prosthetic joint or man-made metal. The replaced parts include the femur part of the joint, the tibia part of the joint and the knee cap or patella. The replacement material mimics the function of natural knee.
  • Partial knee replacement: Also known as unicompartmental knee replacement, this type of surgery is conducted when only a part of the knee or the compartment is damaged. As a result, there is no need for the entire joint to be replaced with prosthetic parts and either the tibia part, the femur part or patella is replaced.
  • Bilateral knee replacement: In this type of surgery, both the knees are operated at the same time as both are affected by cartilage damage.
  • Minimally invasive knee replacement: This type of surgery involves the use of specialized techniques that requires a smaller incision to be made during the procedure. As a result, it requires less hospitalization stay and it takes less time for the patient to recover.
  • Revision knee replacement surgery: This type of surgery is carried out to either replace the worn out prosthetic knee joint or to remove the prosthetics that may have failed.
Read  6 Common Questions to Ask Before a Knee Surgery

The best hospitals for knee replacement surgery in India include:

Global Health City, Chennai View Hospital
BLK Super Speciality Hospital View Hospital
Global Hospital, Mumbai View Hospital
Columbia Asia Yeshwantpur View Hospital
Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon View Hospital
Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital View Hospital
Aster Medcity View Hospital
Medanta The Medicity View Hospital
Fortis Memorial Research Institute View Hospital
Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital View Hospital

Knee Replacement Surgery Cost in India

One of the biggest problems associated with knee replacement surgery in developed countries such as Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States is that patients have to wait for a long time to undergo the procedure. This is because the waiting time for the surgery in these countries is far more than countries like India, Thailand and Malaysia.

Secondly, the cost of this surgery in the US and the UK is huge. This is the reason why millions of people from these countries opt for knee replacement surgery in India, where the cost of the procedure is far less.

The knee replacement surgery cost in India vs. other countries is depicted below:

Procedure India Singapore US UK
Knee replacement (unilateral) $4800 $25000 $32000 $38000
Knee replacement (bilateral) $7800 $30000 $54000 $56000