Orthopedic Surgery Tourism

Orthopedic surgery tourism is becoming increasingly common as more people realize the cost savings that are possible by having their procedures performed in a foreign country. The cost of a hip replacement, knee replacement, or bone marrow transplant can be several thousand dollars. Orthopedic surgery tourism can be a great option for people who need expensive surgery but can’t afford the full cost of the procedure in the United States.

Total Hip Replacement and Partial Hip Replacement

Also known as a Hip Anthroplasty, the Total Hip Replacement is an operation that re-shapes the joint of the hip. Osteoarthritis is usually the reason a patient may require a total hip replacement. Osteoarthritis can develop over time and is the wearing away of cartilage in the hip socket. This can lead to severe pain, stiffness, difficulty walking, climbing stairs, and impair other routine activities. Other causes that can lead to a total hip replacement include rheumatoid arthritis, infection, injury, loss of blood supply to the joint, and developmental abnormalities in the hip.

Knee Replacement

A total knee replacement is sometimes referred to as knee anthroplasty, or computer-assisted surgery for joint replacement (CASJR). Knee replacements involve the installation of an artificial joint or prosthesis and is a viable relief option for sufferers of severe arthritis or those who have experienced a traumatic knee injury. Most people who under go knee replacement surgery are sufferers of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Candidates for total knee replacement are those who experience severe daily pain, significant stiffness in the knee, lack of strength in the knee, and deformity of the joint.

Bone Marrow Transplant

Depending on the condition, a bone marrow transplant can be a beneficial treatment for those with bone and blood infections and certain types of cancer. Bone marrow is a soft tissue found inside the bones that produces the body’s blood cells. More than 95% of the body’s blood is created and stored in the bone marrow. The three types of blood that are produced by bone marrow are red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cells are the cells that transport oxygen to the various parts of the body. White blood cells are those that help with fighting infection and platelets are the cell types that aid in clotting and wound healing. Because each of these cells are crucial for the essential functions of the body, a person’s bone marrow health is extremely important. There are different types of bone marrow transplant and the type that you receive will depend on the donor.Autologous Bone Marrow Transplant is when the donor of the bone marrow is also the recipient. This is performed in conjunction with chemotherapy. Through the extraction of stem cells from the patient’s bone marrow or from a process known as apherisis, where the stem cells are taken from the nearby blood stem cells and then given back to the patient after a round of chemo. Autologous bone marrow transplants are performed to replace the bone marrow destroyed by the chemotherapy treatment. Allogenic Bone Marrow Transplant is when the bone marrow donor possesses the same genetic type as the recipient. Just like an autologous bone marrow transplant, stem cells are extracted from the bone marrow or from surrounding blood stem cells and given to the recipient, usually after treatment as a replacement for cells destroyed during therapy. Matches for allogenic bone marrow transplants are usually siblings but haploid matches from parents are also performed. In the cases where a relative is not available for transplant, an unrelated match may be found through National Bone Marrow Registries Umbilical Cord Blood Transplant Stem cells can also be obtained from umbilical cords immediately following child birth. These types of cells have a quicker reproduction rate than stem cells taken from bone marrow and are tested, counted, and cryogenically preserved before transplantation. Cord blood also has a higher rate of reproduction, producing more blood cells than marrow as well, and these “young” cells are less likely to be rejected by the recipient.

The Growing Popularity of Orthopedic Surgery Tourism

Orthopedic operations can be extremely expensive, which is why many people opt for orthopedic surgery tourism. The costs of orthopedic surgery tourism can be a fraction of the price that the same procedure would be in the United States. Plus, with MedicalTourismLoan.com, you can now finance your orthopedic surgery tourism.