Monday, February 2, 2009

Affordable Knee Replacement Surgery Abroad

By Michael Dunage

If you have a problem with your knee crunching while you walk, your doctor might recommend knee replacement surgery. What if your insurance policy is not enough to cover this procedure or you are underinsured? With the costs of knee replacement surgery in the U.S. being so high, where do you turn? You obviously don't or cannot afford to wait until your savings enable you to pay for the treatment.

A simple answer. You could consider receiving your knee replacement surgery abroad. There are several top destinations that people are traveling each day to receive knee surgery, such as India, Turkey, Mexico, Philippines and Costa Rica. There are several reputable medical tourism websites to contact that can help you to coordinate the medical travel arrangements abroad, etc.

Flights can be arranged and the cost of medical treatment and travel of up to seventy percent off the U.S. costs for knee replacement surgery abroad. Many see this as an affordable option for knee replacement surgery abroad. India is considered one of the most prominent destinations for knee replacement surgery abroad and they have some doctors who actually pioneered a procedure known as knee resurfacing surgery even before it was approved by the FDA in the U.S.

You can head to a major city in India and be received by an English speaking personal assistant. The specialists in India has vast amounts of experience performing knee replacement surgery procedures abroad. Many are board certified and have past formal training in the U.S., U.K. or Canada. These doctors have completed hundreds or thousands of knee replacement surgeries.

In addition to the medical travel aspect to India for knee replacement surgery, there are other tourism benefits. India is a place that allows you to take advantage of therapeutic therapies available. The surgical facilities are modern and the patient rooms are the same as a five star hotel. The hospitals for knee replacement surgery abroad in just as good if not better than the hospitals in the U.S. or elsewhere.

Prior to surgery, you will probably stay in a nearby hotel and then be transported to the hospital to meet with the surgical team and doctor before receiving your knee replacement surgery. You will be provided with a patient assistant that will care for you throughout the procedure. Then the nurses will administer the IV's to get you all ready to receive your knee replacement surgery. Mexico has a similar treatment program to India.

Philippines is also a lovely place to visit so that you can sightsee and vacation before your surgery if your health allows. Then you will meet the surgeon specializing in knee surgery. Philippine surgeons who do this kind of surgery are also board certified with considerable experience in doing knee surgery. Philippines and offers modern knee prosthetic devices that will be implanted in your leg in place of the damaged knee.

The arthritic knee is removed in the surgery and a metal and plastic one is placed where the original one. The postoperative pain is reasonable in this kind of knee surgery. Philippine hospitals offer pain medication for you after surgery and have physical therapists who get you back on your feet shortly, making plans for your trip back to the U.S. - 15255

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