Knee Replacement Surgery in India
Are you planning to get knee replacement surgery in India? Well, don't look back! Many patients find it difficult to afford this surgery in their home country. Comparatively, India offers huge savings (up to 60%) — that too, from highly skilled surgeons!
Knee Replacement in India Explained!
However, you need to research and shortlist the best surgeons and hospitals beforehand. This is where we can help you! Also, we will discuss the other things you need to know about replacing your knee in India.
Why India for Knee Surgery - The Seven Reasons!
If you want to invest in your health, India is the place for it! Why? They have an excellent track record when it comes to medical tourism, and their affordable rates will surprise you![1]
India stands out in delivering just the right kind of service that ex-pats seek. See the highlights that drive more and more patients to India for knee replacement surgery:
1. International Patient's Choice:
A lot of people have been choosing India over other medical destinations. A report by CNN[2] health suggests that Indian medical tourism is projected to grow at a CAGR of 200% by 2020, hitting US$9 billion by 2020.
2. The Average Cost of Surgery:
Total knee replacement surgery in India can cost $3,500-9,000, compared to $15,000-21,000[3] in the U.K. and $49000[4] in the U.S. The prices cut to half or even less, offering high savings to the patients!
3. Quality of Work:
Many medical practitioners in India have learned or practiced medicine in countries like the U.S. and Australia. It gives them exposure to the U.S. or Australian patient base. Later, it helps the surgeons to understand a medical tourist's needs even better.
Apart from carrying out surgeries as per international standards, Researchers here work to provide new and better ways[5] of healthcare.
4. Strong Medical Regulations:
Even though there are countries that may compete with Indian pricing, it could affect the quality of their services.
The N.H.P. (National Health Policy)[6] India recognizes some critical dimensions of high-quality healthcare.
These include — consistency, positive health outcomes, patient-centeredness, equity, and trustable service delivery. It promotes the safety and trust of patients in the healthcare system.
5. A Long History of Medical Tourism:
As a land where therapeutic Ayurveda originated, India has always attracted medical tourists. Moreover, constant efforts in medicine ensure that more medical tourists visit India for other treatments too.
6. Safety of Medical Procedure:
Only the professionals registered with the MCI (Medical Council of India)[7] are allowed to practice modern medicine or surgery.
Furthermore, the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) lays down standards of medical equipment use and hospital planning for safe medical practices.
The NABH[8], (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare), works in promoting quality and safety in healthcare in India.
7. Medical Tourism & Leisure Travel:
India undoubtedly holds a vibrant history. Its generations work to offer a glimpse into Indian History by preserving the years-old monuments and artworks.
The country's capital, New Delhi, for instance, was recently in the news as it is about to be listed as one of the world's top 10 most popular destinations to visit.[9]
Knee Replacement Surgery Cost in India ($5,500 - $11,500)
Indian hospitals are known for their lower prices, but how much will you pay? It's an important question to answer before packing your bags and travelling to India.
Let's explore not just the cost, but how it compares to other countries also!
| Procedure | Minimum Price | Maximum Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unilateral TKR | $5,500 | $7,300 |
| Bilateral TKR | $9,000 | $11,500 |
*2021 prices, contact us for a personalized quote
| Country | TKR Minimum | TKR Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| INDIA | $5,500 (U/L) | $11,500 (B/L) |
| USA | $30,000 | $70,000 |
| AUSTRALIA | $14,000 | $22,500 |
| THAILAND | $9,000 | $11,000 |
| COSTA RICA | $10,000 | $11,000 |
| CANADA | $11,000 | $13,000 |
| MEXICO | $7,000 | $15,800 |
| Note: Wait time in the mentioned countries is almost nil, except in Canada, where one may have to wait months to get an appointment. | ||
*U/L- Unilateral (one knee); B/L- Bilateral (both knees)
The cost for knee replacement surgery in India ranges between $5,500-$11,500, which averages to $8,500 at a reputed institute. So, you end up with a low-cost all-inclusive package!
All-inclusive Package
✓ Room charges for the specified period (usually 5 days)
✓ Surgeon’s fees
✓ Occupational therapy fees
✓ Anesthesia fees
✓ The cost of a DVT pump
✓ The cost of prostheses/implants
✓ Standard pharmacy and consumables bill (up to a certain limit)
✓ The cost of necessary investigations related to your procedure
✓ Comprehensive medical report
Patients at MTC also get free pick-up and drop-off facilities (airport-hospital-hotel) in AC cars. You can also expect guest house assistance, a local network sim card, assistance in currency exchange, and assistance in obtaining your medicine after being discharged from the hospital.
Thus, the small amount helps to cover your pre-surgery tests, hospital bills, and to some extent, post-op healthcare expenses also. The details of services you can expect in each are mentioned below:
Components of the Treatment Cost
The patient takes some diagnostic and organ tests before the surgery. Medicos do it to analyze the measure of damage. This analysis helps the doctor to make a personalized treatment plan.
Some primary medical check-ups you have to undergo are:
1. An Imaging Test - It helps to analyze the present condition of your knee. Based on the doctor’s advice, it could be either of these options:
- X-RAY- This simple imaging technique creates a picture of indies of your knee in different shades of black and white. The doctor studies and compares it with the structure of a healthy knee.
X-ray Left: Osteoarthritis of the knee; Right: post-operation total Knee surgery (TKR) view
- MRI- Magnetic Resonance Imaging is for a detailed scan of the affected knee. The scan is more detailed than an X-ray. It helps the doctor analyze the situation better.
MRI of knee
2. Heart Check-up - A Cardiologist’s clearance for surgery is a must. Your heart should be healthy to support the body through and after the surgery. If it is not, the doctor works on heart health before knee surgery.
3. Dental Check-up - To identify infections, if any, in the oral cavity. It’s to avoid any post-surgery trouble. The untreated bacteria from the mouth may travel into the blood and infect the knee implants.
4. Medical Check-up - Finally, a patient goes through a regular medical check-up. It scans for any disease that may affect the surgery.
The cost for tests mentioned is included in the surgery package; if you want to get these done from a separate institution, they may add up to less than $500.
The surgery may require a person to stay in the hospital for 5 to 7 days. Depending on the hospital you’re visiting, your surgery package can vary.
The quotes mentioned do not include the price of blood products or extra implants. These may vary depending on factors like single occupancy or sharing room, kinds of implants selected, and patient’s individual health requirements.
You can request us for the details for pricing and inclusions of the following hospitals.
- Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, India
- Max Super Specialty Hospitals, India
- BLK Hospital, New Delhi, India
- Nanavati Max Hospital, Mumbai, India
Post-surgery recovery varies for every person because of the different health levels. Therefore, to some extent, it is possible to speed up recovery.
Getting yourself a physio or a personal physical trainer will be the best part of your investment for better knees.
Physiotherapy sessions in the U.S. can cost up to $150 per session or be covered by your insurance plan.
After the surgery, Physiotherapy is provided by the Indian hospitals in the patient’s room (hospital/hotel) for a certain period of time (duration depends on the Hospital and your medical package).
If you choose to relax and stay back in India for a short vacation, you can avail physiotherapy for an amount as low as $70 for a month.
Top Orthopedic Hospitals in India
Many multi-specialty hospitals in India offer knee replacement surgery. From these, some stand out when we look at their success rates, past patient experience, accreditations, memberships, and more.
Based on these parameters, we have shortlisted the best hospitals for you:
Max Super Specialty
- One of India’s leading providers of extensive, seamless, and integrated world-class healthcare services.
- A network of 14 hospitals, they offer treatment across all 29 specialties.
- Accreditation by JCI, NABH, and NABL
They also have other branches in NCR (Gurgaon, aka Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Noida), Panjab, Chandigarh, Mohali, and Uttrakhand.
JCI and NABL-accredited, the 710-beds Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, is one of the leading healthcare providers in the city.
It was first awarded the JCI accreditation in 2005 and reaccredited in 2008 and 2011. Spread over 15 acres and 600,000 sq ft, it offers 52 specialties, including oncology, cardiology, and transplant care.
It has NABL-accredited labs and cutting-edge technologies like PET-CT, Da Vinci Robotic Surgery, and 3 Tesla MRI. This flagship hospital of Apollo Group maintains the highest clinical standards with a team of expert consultants and staff.
Indraprastha Apollo leads healthcare innovations in India with state-of-the-art infrastructure.
- 1995 Established
- 5,000+ Pharmacies
- 11,000+ Care Providers
- Provide state-of-the-art healthcare
- A network of 70+ hospitals across 13 countries
- Apollo hospitals are ISO-9001, 14001, 2200 HACCP certified
- Accreditation by JCI, NABH, and NABL
Apart from New Delhi, you can expect treatment by Apollo in Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Navi Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata.
The JCI-accredited facility is one of the largest private clinics in Delhi and ranks among the top 10 multi-specialty hospitals.
As part of the Max Healthcare Group, a leading provider in India, it caters to both domestic and international patients.
The hospital specializes in cancer treatment, bariatric surgery, and cardiology, using advanced equipment that meets European hospital standards.
- 60+ Years of Experience
- JCI Accredited
- NABH Accredited
- A member of Max Super Specialty chain of hospitals
- Accreditation by JCI, NABH, and NABL
- Introduce established newer technologies in clinical services without delay.
- Provide reliable and updated diagnostic services.
Knee Replacement Surgery Types
The type of knee surgery you will undergo will be decided by your doctor after thoroughly studying your knee.
In India, all the types mentioned below are performed by surgeons registered with MCI.
Partial and Total Knee Replacement Surgery
Your knee joint has three compartments — the medial, the lateral, and the patellofemoral compartment.
Partial knee replacement (PKR) is for patients with complications relating to 1/3 or 2/3 compartments of the knee joint. But, when all three compartments are compromised, a total knee replacement surgery (TKR) is required.
However, this is not as simple as it sounds, as depending on your pre-operative reports, your doctor will analyze and recommend the best treatment option for you.
Total Knee Replacement Procedure Abroad (ANIMATED Explanation!)
Knee Revision Surgery
Are you in pain even after the surgery? It could suggest an implant that may be incorrectly fitted, loose or infected. In such a case, your doctor will operate once again, termed, revision surgery.
Revision surgery is more complicated than primary surgery and needs more surgical expertise. It may be a total or a partial revision knee replacement depending on the prosthetic(s) replaced
Staged and Bilateral Knee Surgery
Staged and bilateral are the medical terms for single or simultaneous knee surgery.
Staged and Bilateral Knee Surgery
When both knees are operated on at the same time, it is known as Bilateral or Simultaneous Knee surgery. In staged knee surgery- one knee is replaced at one time. When the surgeon operates on both knees at the same time, it is called bilateral knee surgery.
Knee Replacement Surgery Methods in India
Conventional Surgery Methods
Surgeons in India perform primary and revision knee surgeries with minimal complications & high success rates. However, such operations are not performed on children as their bones are still growing.
Latest Technology and Surgery Methods
Computer-assisted TKR followed by ERAS has been observed to deliver better results for patients undergoing knee surgery. Orthopedics in India follows these protocols to ensure the best possible result for those seeking any form of knee replacement surgery.
1. Computer navigated TKR (Improves accuracy)
When a surgeon can visualize the insides of a knee joint, it becomes much easier for them to align the necessary components precisely.
Total Knee Surgery (TKR) or Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA), when assisted with computer aid, helps the surgeon to operate much more accurately.
2. ERAS (Hastens recovery)
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) aims to reduce complications following surgery. This protocol is actually initiated prior to any form of surgery.
It revolves around activities like physiotherapy, education about the surgery itself, the careful choice of anesthesia, and operation methods.
Adopting these methods from the outset will usually result in a decreased length of stay (LOS) for patients.
Robotic Knee Replacement in India: Is This The Future of Joint Surgery?
Best Knee Replacement Implant Brand in India
Zimmer India manufactures a variety of knee implants. You can go through the link to their products Zimmer claims to be the manufacturer of more than 25% of implants used worldwide.
Biomet clubbed with Zimmer to function as one unit. Their vanguard complete knee system offers 90 different fits from which you can choose. You can browse through their other products here.
Stryker, the winner of Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies (2019), offers multiple fits. You can have a look at its updated product list here.
Smith and Nephew customize the knee implants as per patient’s requirement under the tag Visionaire, for more information on the same click here.
Conformis says, “If it’s not conformis, it’s not made for you.” They make customized implants based on the pre-navigated 3D model of your knee. It ensures that the implant looks the closest to your original knee. Know more about conformis here.
Best Orthopedic Doctors in India
India hosts between 12 to 15 thousand registered orthopedic surgeons. So, it can quite a task selecting the one who’s right for you.
Artemis Hospital-Gurgaon, Fortis Healthcare, and Max Super Specialty Hospitals are some institutes which have the best of the professionals. The teams have been working to result in satisfied patients one after another.
Some of the best knee replacement surgeon in India are:
Dr. S.K.S. Marya
Dr. S.K.S. Marya is the Chairman and Chief Surgeon of Orthopaedics & Joint Replacement at Max Healthcare.
He holds an M.Ch. from the UoL, an AO Trauma Fellowship from Switzerland, and is a Fellow of the RCS England.
Dr. Marya pioneered bilateral knee and hip replacements and introduced computer-assisted surgery.
He has performed over 15,000 joint replacements.
Education
Maharshi Dayanand University and Medical College Rohtak
Memberships
- Asia Pacific Arthroplasty Society
- American Association of Hip & Knee Surgeons
- International Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology
Dr. J. Maheswari
Dr. J. Maheshwari is an orthopedic surgeon in New Delhi, trained at AIIMS and abroad.
He regularly uses computer navigation in joint replacement surgeries.
As a former professor, he brings academic excellence to his practice.
Dr. J. Maheshwari and his team have performed over 20,000 operations, including 6,000+ knee replacements. They have also conducted over 200 shoulder replacements.
Education
AIIMS, New Delhi
Memberships
- Delhi Medical Council
- Medical Council of India
- Indian Orthopaedic Association
Frequently Asked Questions Before Surgery
Yes, you may require a blood transfusion. It is because the joint replacement surgery is invasive, so some amount of blood is lost and needs replacing. However, this is not true for all patients.
- The blood for transfusion may come from blood banks, located mostly in the hospitals themselves.
- Blood available in these banks is tested for any disease (minor or major) before transfusing it to the recipient.
- If you know a volunteer of your specific blood type, you can receive his/her blood as well.
- If you’re still skeptical about receiving blood from an external source or don’t want to follow these for any other reason, you can self-donate.
- Blood from your own body will be received before the surgery (6weeks to 5days), stored and recycled in the hospital. Doctors transfuse the same blood into your body during the surgery.
- Some medical teams have their consultants overseas, and you can immediately contact an experienced local consultant.
- Our case manager can get you in touch with doctors within 24 hours of receiving the query.
- After discussing the case, you can get an appointment within the first week as well. If the doctor is available, we can confirm the same as immediate as on the next day itself.
- It’s possible to get the appointment and the surgery done in the same visit.
- Cobalt-Chromium alloys: A robust, biocompatible material, when combined with titanium, is the most widely used material for knee implants. People with nickel allergies should not have this implant as some metal ions may be released into the body due to joint movement.
- Titanium alloys- These implants rank the same as cobalt-chromium ones. Manufacturers avoid using pure titanium as it isn’t tough enough to provide the strength required.
- Polyethene: Ultra Highly Cross-Linked Polyethylene (UHXLPE) or Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) Implants reduce the wearing off to a minimum and make the implants last longer.
- Oxinium oxidized Zirconium: Introduced in 2001 with twice the toughness of metal alloys, it provides half the friction. This allows them to perform better and last longer.
These implants are nickel-free, thus eliminating the risks of nickel-metal allergy.
- Mass production: General implants can be imported or manufactured at a company’s factory base. Zimmer India manufactures the implants to be sold in the India market.
- Mass customization: Mass customization takes place after the individual files of 3D models are pre-navigated and sent to the brand-specific factory for 3D Printing. It is usually done in the native country.
- The knee is a living tissue. So, your brain health affects your knee health, and we all know the effect of exercise on our moods. Thanks to the release of happy hormones post-exercise.
- Exercising helps you to control the weight, which will decrease the amount of work your knees have to do.
- Exercising promotes overall health making a recovery faster after the surgery.
FAQs About the Day of Surgery
- Anesthesiologist guides you through the options of anesthesia and administers the one for which you give your consent.
- After this, healthcare moves you to the operation ward, and the surgery is performed on you while you’re asleep.
- An incision from 4 to 10 inches will is made over the damaged area of your knee. A less invasive surgery will require a smaller incision, though it is not mandatory that a surgery with smaller incision must be less invasive as well.
- From here on, the surgeon uses his expertise to remove the damaged parts of the knee and carefully replace them with the prosthetics.
- After entirely fitting the implants, the surgeon will cross check the fit of the implants by bringing them in motion (bending & rotating).
- Once the surgeon is satisfied with the placement of the implants, he stitches/staples the incision to close it.
- The real-time TKR takes about 2 hours. Still, the preparation of the surgery can add some more hours to it.
- Revision knee surgery, on the other hand, being more complex, requires additional time. It usually takes 2-3 hours.
- Knee surgery is one of the major surgeries, and anesthesia is recommended to avoid any pain stress to the body.
- You may choose between localized or general (full body) anesthesia after consulting your anesthesiologist.
Anesthesia is selected after considering your age and medical health. Still, if you have a preference, you can discuss the same with your anesthesia doctor and decide.
Not any if you’ve been sufficiently sedated with anesthesia.
- The surgery involves blood loss, but amounts may vary on your medical health and the extent of invasion of the surgery.
- It is advised not to consume any anticoagulants or anti-platelet drugs (blood thinners) before the surgery as they can increase the amount of blood loss.
Frequently Asked Questions After the Surgery
- Movement is crucial after the surgery to avoid blood DVT- Deep vein thrombosis (formation of one or more blood clots in the lower limb).
- Chances of DVT increase if a person sits still for a longer duration, such as in a long flight.
- While in a flight, legs fold at a right angle. It may lead to a kink formation in the veins under the knee. This further promotes DVT.
- To avoid DVT one must avoid dehydration.
- Ensuring optimum movement, as simple as moving up and down the aisle after regular intervals, can help.
- One may take anticoagulants (blood thinners) after consulting the doctor.
- It takes 3-6 months for complete recovery in a healthy body. It may also take up to 12 months.
- No matter what other brands may tell you, no implant can function 100% as your natural knee.
- The knee pain is minimized, not completely eradicated in most cases.
- Simple movements like walking may restore to normal, but implants don't allow you to run a marathon.
Patients should use good shoes of a proper fit with additional arch support.
- As already mentioned, implants can help you walk, but if you try to push it, you may damage the new knee as well. Heavy movement or weight-bearing exercises like running and skiing must be avoided.
- The patient should enjoy sports like football and soccer only as a spectator.
- After the surgery you may contact your doctor directly for any query.
- You may request our case managers for this service.
Conclusion
Getting knee replacement surgery in India can help you get a pain-free knee at an affordable price! You must, however, choose a reputable medical team to go ahead with the surgery.
We at MTC help you find the best doctors and hospitals trusted worldwide.
