Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Germany
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Rheumatoid arthritis is a severe, incurable disease of autoimmune origin. It destroys a patient’s joints and leads to disability. Arthritis causes pain and considerably impacts a person’s quality of life. Besides this, rheumatoid arthritis decreases a patient’s life expectancy by up to 5-10 years as it increases the risks of cardiovascular issues by twice as much. Nonetheless, doctors in medically advanced countries have learnt how to effectively treat this disease.
Content
- Benefits of Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment in Germany
- Leading German hospitals and cost of rheumatoid arthritis treatment
- Arrangement of Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment in Germany
Benefits of Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment in Germany
People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis often prefer to get therapy in Germany. The reason is so that they can receive adequate medical help, which greatly improves life quality, restores their work capacity and prevents further complications of the illness.
The key advantages of treatment in this country are:
Accurate diagnostics. Rheumatoid arthritis symptomatically and clinically resembles many other rheumatic diseases. But these diseases are treated differently. Therefore, it is important to establish the correct diagnosis before starting therapy. One of the advantages of German healthcare, compared to the rest of the world, is that a much higher level of attention is paid to the accuracy of the diagnosis. Therefore, together with the latest technological devices, the most up to date laboratory research methods are used. It is important not only to establish a diagnosis but also to assess the state of various musculoskeletal system structures, in order to plan the most effective therapeutic tactics.
Effective conservative therapy. Patients who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis are prescribed painkillers or glucocorticoids and are sent straight home in most countries around the world. There, they just sit and wait for several years until their joints are completely destroyed. Thus the person suffers from pain and a greatly reduced quality of life and work capability.
In Germany, there are other approaches to conservative therapy. Here, proven schemes of drug treatment are used which allow you to influence the clinical course of the disease. NSAIDs and glucocorticoids are used as well as biological medicines. These are inhibitors of tumour necrosis factor, monoclonal antibodies, anti-lymphocytic drugs and inhibitors of intracellular signaling pathways. They not only restore the patient's ability to work and relieve their pain but also prevent the destruction of joints.
Extracorporeal methods of blood purification. Rheumatoid arthritis damages the joints with antibodies, which are produced by the structures of the immune system. These antibodies circulate in the blood. In Germany, procedures are used to purify the blood of these antibodies. Blood is passed through a special apparatus and returned to the vessels without these immunoglobulins present. Using this method, doctors can quickly cope with an exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis and transfer the disease to the stage of remission.
Qualitative surgical treatment. Surgical treatment of the disease is often used during the late stages of rheumatoid arthritis. It is aimed at eliminating chronic pain and restoring the structure and function of the joint. The latest surgical operations are performed in Germany.
Preference is always given to minimally invasive operating techniques. Access to the joint is by means of arthroscopy. This method allows you to make all the necessary manipulations with video endoscopy equipment, which allows the doctor to avoid large incisions to the tissue - microsurgical equipment is injected through small punctures. Therefore, the recovery period of the patient is minimal and severe postoperative pain is absent.
Later, if necessary, prosthetic surgery is performed. This also includes the largest (hip, knee) joints, which are rarely affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Here, if necessary, prosthetic surgery of the wrist joint is also performed.
In Germany, the latest techniques are used in operations for the restoration of the joint surface. Destroyed cartilage itself is not restored. But it can be grown by cultivating chondrocytes or stem cells. The cartilage which is grown in the laboratory is fixed on the matrix and placed inside the joint. Such cartilage will not be rejected, because it will be genetically native to the patient.
Treatment of complications arising from rheumatoid arthritis. If necessary, quality treatment of cardiovascular pathology, developed against the background of rheumatoid arthritis, is provided in Germany. When the valves of the heart and large vessels are damaged, their prosthetic treatment can be performed with the help of endovascular techniques. These are minimally invasive operations that are performed without large incisions, instead through the blood vessels.
Leading German hospitals and cost of rheumatoid arthritis treatment
Most German hospitals, including University Health Centers, provide a thorough treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Here are some of them:
| Hospital | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University Hospital of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich | The Department of Endocrinology, Rheumatology and Nephrology under the guidance of Prof. Dr. med. Martin Reincke, provides treatment of all forms of rheumatoid arthritis, including the prescription of effective disease modifying drugs. |
| 2 | University Hospital Ulm | The Department of Hematology, Oncology, Palliative Care, Rheumatology and Infectology, under the guidance of Prof. Dr. med. Hartmut Döhner, provides conservative treatment to patients with arthropathies and rheumatoid arthritis. |
| 3 | University Hospital Frankfurt am Main | The Department of Hematology, Oncology, Rheumatology and Immunology provides both diagnostics and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The doctors of the department use the most innovative approaches to the treatment of rheumatic diseases. |
The cost of treating joint diseases depends on the chosen hospital, the number and type of the diagnostic procedures, the type of treatment, and the duration of the rehabilitation. For example, a conservative therapeutic program with administration of medications and physical measures is less expensive than the stem cell therapy or a replacement surgery.
The average cost of the main methods of examination and treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is as follows:
| Medical program | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Examination in suspected rheumatoid arthritis | €5,310 |
| Conservative therapy of rheumatoid arthritis | €10,930 |
| Stem cell therapy (in affection of large joints) | €33,330 |
| Orthopedic rehabilitation | €461 per day |
The final cost of the medical program is calculated for each patient individually, taking into account the severity of joint damage, the required medical intervention, age, the presence of concomitant pathologies and other factors.
Arrangement of Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment in Germany
Anyone can ask for information about one of the German hospitals where they can get treated for rheumatoid arthritis. But the independent arrangement of treatment abroad is often accompanied with certain issues. Foreign patients often do not know the prices, do not know the language and have difficulties with choosing a suitable hospital.
However all of these problems are easily resolved thanks to the services offered by Booking Health. Our employees are equipped to help you with:
- Selecting a hospital
- Helping you save up to 70% of the total cost of treatment
- Translating medical documentation into German
- Issuing a visa
- Booking your airline tickets and hotel
- Meeting you at the airport in Germany and taking you to the hospital
You will be insured against unforeseen medical expenses for up to 200,000 Euros. This insurance will cover the treatment in case of any complications that may arise within 48 months post treatment.
If you want to use the services of Booking Health for the organization of treatment in Germany, fill in an application on our website. Our service manager will review it, examine all the documentation and contact you within a few hours.
Choose treatment abroad and you will be sure to get the best results!
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Alexandra Solovey. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
Sources:
National Center for Biotechnology Information
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