Joint Replacement in Germany

Joint replacement is one of the most frequently performed operations in orthopedics. This intervention is necessary in case of destruction of the hip or knee joint; the other joints of the upper and lower extremities are replaced less frequently. The most common indication for arthroplasty is severe arthrosis, a degenerative disease involving the destruction of articular cartilage.

Content

1. Hip joint replacement
2. Kinds of arthroplasty
3. Preparing for surgery
4. Operation
5. Treatment of knee joint in Germany
6. Surgical treatment of hip bursitis
7. Benefits of hip arthroplasty in Germany
8. Travel to Germany for treatment

Hip joint replacement

Hip arthroplasty in Germany is most often performed in patients with coxarthrosis. This disease develops very slowly, but steadily. It affects mainly elderly people because the joint simply wears out. The cartilage is damaged, and its ability to regenerate is limited due to the lack of sufficient nutrition. There are no blood vessels inside the cartilage, and nutrients are supplied through the joint capsule and synovial fluid. Therefore, metabolism in cartilage tissue is extremely slow.

Hip arthroplasty in Germany is performed also for other indications. These may be hip fractures in elderly patients with osteoporosis, traumatic injuries, and tumors.

Kinds of arthroplasty

The essence of hip joint arthroplasty is that the person’s tissues are removed and replaced with a prosthetic implant (endoprosthesis). This operation can be done by various methods. Hip replacement in Germany can be:

• subtotal: when an artificial cervix and femoral head are installed, but the patient's acetabulum remains (this articular surface is located on the pelvic bone);
• total: the acetabulum is also replaced.

According to the fixation of the prosthesis method, the hip joint arthroplasty can be cemented or cementless. The latter technique with the bone slowly growing into the endoprosthesis, and fixing it, is more common. However, in some patients, the regenerative potential is limited, which is often due to osteoporosis in the elderly. In such cases, cemented fixation is used where the implant is fixed to the bone with a special solution.

In Germany, arthroplasty can be both primary and secondary. Primary arthroplasty is the operation performed for the first time. Secondary arthroplasty is used in patients who have already undergone joint replacement earlier, but for some reason, the endoprosthesis is no longer functioning properly. Implant replacement in Germany is usually performed in cases when the first prosthesis installed was poor-quality, outdated, etc. Prostheses' service life is about 10 years.

Replacing the previously installed endoprosthesis is a much more difficult operation. It is not always successful. Therefore, it is crucial to choose a good clinic and a good doctor. In addition, it is necessary to install prostheses of the best quality, with a service life of several decades.

Preparing for surgery

The patient undergoes a series of tests: routine clinical laboratory testing, infectious disease testing, ECG, and photofluorography. Before arthroplasty, he undergoes a CT or MRI scan of the joint with the three-dimensional modeling of the area to be operated on. This allows the doctor to better plan the operation, reduce its duration and achieve better results.

Operation

Joint arthroplasty is performed under general anesthesia. The patient lies on his side and an incision is made along the joint. If a person is treated in Germany, he can expect that the soft tissue will be damaged minimally. Muscles are not dissected but separated bluntly.

The surgeon removes affected joint structures. At the second stage of the operation, he installs an endoprosthesis. It consists of a head, leg, cup, and liner. All sizes are selected for the patient individually. After surgery, both limbs must have equal length, and the range of motion in the artificial joint should be full.

The wound is sutured in layers at the end of the surgery. It is rinsed with antiseptic solutions to prevent infectious complications. A person receives antibiotics and anticoagulants to prevent thrombotic complications in the postoperative period. On average, the whole operation lasts about 2 hours.

Treatment of knee joint in Germany

Often, it is necessary to replace the knee joint with a prosthesis. It is indicated in gonarthrosis, joint destruction caused by rheumatoid arthritis, tumors, or traumatic injuries.

In Germany, treatment usually starts with less radical methods. There are various techniques for restoring the articular surface. They are effective for the second and even sometimes for the third stage of osteoarthrosis. Cartilage is repaired using stem cells or transplanted ex-vivo-cultivated autologous (own) chondrocytes fixed on a collagen matrix.

However, patients with destroyed knee joints are treated in Germany only by total knee replacement. Doctors implant high-quality endoprostheses that restore the full function of the limb after surgery. The fixation by the cemented method is the most common one used because it is more reliable.

Surgical treatment of hip bursitis

Some patients will require hip bursitis treatment after hip replacement surgery. This complication develops in 2.8% of patients and is accompanied by chronic pain that gets worse with exertion and when lying on the healthy side. You can undergo hip bursitis treatment in one of the German clinics. It can be conservative or surgical. Conservative hip bursitis treatment involves the usage of pain medications, physiotherapy, orthotics, medication blocks, and corticosteroid injections. If there is no result, surgical treatment for hip bursitis is performed. To clarify hip bursitis surgery costs in Germany, you are welcome to visit the Booking Health website. When performing the surgical intervention, the doctor excises the inflamed bursa. In some clinics, surgical treatment for hip bursitis is performed using a minimally invasive arthroscopic method.

Benefits of hip arthroplasty in Germany

Joint replacement surgery is available in almost all countries of the world. However, those people, who can afford quality medical care, try to be treated in Germany. And this is even though in German clinics, prices for treatment are higher than in most European countries.

Medicine in this country is being developed better. Arthroplasty in Germany has the following advantages:

• High-quality implants. Modern joint implants with a service life of 30 years or more are used. Even if a hip replacement in Germany was performed at a young age, a re-operation is more likely to be never required. High wear resistance allows a person to stand any load after surgery, play sports, and at the same time maintain a high level of artificial joint functionality.
• Functional results. In the process of arthroplasty in Germany, prostheses are implanted ideally. As a result, a person can make all those movements that could have been performed if he had his joint. The only difference is that now he does not feel pain or crunch, and nothing more restricts the patient's physical activity.
• Low traumatic operations. An artificial joint for arthroplasty in Germany is implanted through a much smaller incision than anywhere. This contributes to the faster healing of soft tissues. The early postoperative period is shortened, and the patient tolerates it much better. In addition, blood loss and risk of infectious complications decrease.
• High-quality rehabilitation. After replacing the hip joint in Germany, the patient can go through all the stages of recovery. Due to the early load on the operated limb, the implementation of special procedures, and training, a person recovers much easier and faster. He quickly restores mobility, ability to self-service, and working capacity.

Travel to Germany for treatment

The patient, who has decided to undergo arthroplasty in Germany, will face many difficulties. After all, he needs to choose a good clinic, a good doctor. Then, to ensure that this good doctor agrees to operate. It is necessary to prepare documents, overcome the language barrier, contact the clinic administration, etc.

It will be much easier to get treatment in Germany if you use the services of Booking Health. We will select a good clinic in Germany and negotiate on reducing the price of treatment. Although the cost of treatment in Germany is higher than in most other countries, you can save money by booking medical services through Booking Health, excluding additional fees for non-resident patients.

Additional services that you will receive:

• Establish communication with the clinic in Germany and directly with your doctor.
• Arthroplasty in the orthopedic center demonstrates the best statistics on the success and safety of the operation.
• Translation of medical documents and diagnostic reports into German. You do not have to repeat examinations in the German clinic. It contributes to a further reduction in the total treatment price.
• Program control, full financial transparency, return of all unspent funds.
• Assistance in the purchasing and shipment of medicines.
• Organization of additional examinations or therapeutic procedures.
• High-level service: booking of hotels and airplane tickets, support with receiving visa, transfer.

Thus, thanks to Booking Health, the cost of treatment in Germany will be less; you are free from organizational duties and can fully concentrate on restoring your health.

Authors: 

The article was edited by medical experts, board certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Dr. Farrukh Ahmed. 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:

Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research

Articles for Orthopaedic Practice - Orthogate