Total Elbow Replacement for Elbow Arthritis treatment in Germany
Treatment prices are regulated by national law of the corresponding countries, but can also include additional hospital coefficients. In order to receive the individual cost calculation, please send us the request and medical records.
Due to the difficulties associated with the organization of treatment in Turkey, Switzerland, South Korea and India, we are not currently processing requests to these regions.
If you are interested in treatment in Germany, please leave a request and our specialists will contact you as soon as possible.
The selection of doctors and clinics is carried out on the basis of annual qualification reports. The main selection criterion is the number of operations or procedures performed. It takes into account experience, reputation in the medical society, the availability of quality certificates and high specialization in a certain field.
Department of Orthopedics, Foot Surgery, Hand Surgery and Spinal Surgery
According to the prestigious medical magazine Focus, the Department of Orthopedics, Foot Surgery, Hand Surgery and Spinal Surgery is one of the best medical facilities in Germany, specializing in shoulder and knee surgery, foot surgery, and hand surgery! The department offers a full range of medical services for diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The key focus of the department's doctors is the treatment of diseases of the large joints: knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, ankle, and wrist. Foot surgery specialists are responsible for the correction of hallux valgus, hallux rigidus, clubfoot, flatfoot, and claw toes, as well as the treatment of ankle arthrosis, heel spurs, and Achilles tendon ruptures. The department regularly admits patients with hand diseases, with particular interest in the treatment of wrist arthrosis, rhizarthrosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and Dupuytren's contracture. The therapeutic offer is complemented by conservative and surgical treatment of spinal diseases such as herniated discs, spinal canal stenosis, vertebral fractures, and others. The department's medical team offers patients effective conservative treatment methods. However, when surgery is required, arthroscopic and minimally invasive techniques are preferred to ensure the fastest possible postoperative recovery and a high level of safety.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery, Foot Surgery, Hand Surgery and Rheumatology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery, Foot Surgery, Hand Surgery and Rheumatology offers the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services in its areas of specialization. The key areas of work of the department's doctors include large joint arthroplasty, arthroscopic interventions on the knee, hip, and shoulder joints, conservative and surgical treatment of foot and hand diseases and deformities, rheumatic joint lesions, orthopedic diseases in children, and musculoskeletal injuries. The key to successful clinical practice is the professionalism and unique experience of the department's medical team, combined with the advanced infrastructure and state-of-the-art equipment. The department has 5 operating rooms equipped with the latest technology. Most surgical interventions are performed using minimally invasive techniques, due to which, in the shortest possible time, the patient is verticalized, their mobility is restored, and a pronounced pain syndrome is excluded. The department annually performs more than 4,500 surgical interventions, including especially complex ones, so the specialists at the medical facility are rightfully proud of their impressive clinical experience in the surgical treatment of orthopedic diseases. Over the years, the department has gained an excellent reputation not only in Germany but also far beyond its borders.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Traumatology
According to Focus magazine, the University Hospital Heidelberg ranks among the top five hospitals in Germany! The hospital is one of the most advanced and reputable medical institutions not only in Germany, but throughout Europe. There are more than 43 specialized departments and 13 medical institutes, which cover all fields of modern medicine. A distinctive feature of the hospital is the presence of unique therapeutic methods for the treatment of complex and rare clinical cases.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Traumatology
According to the Focus magazine, the Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Traumatology ranks among the top German medical facilities in the field of its specialization! It offers the full range of conservative and surgical treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. The department's priorities include knee and hip surgery, including endoprosthetics, spinal surgery, shoulder and elbow surgery, surgical oncology of the musculoskeletal system and the treatment of injuries of varying severity. With an annual number of more than 8,000 inpatients, the department has the status of one of the largest and most reputable in the field of its competence.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics is the center of maximum orthopedic care and offers the diagnostics and treatment of all diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system. Along with the full range of modern operative and conservative orthopedics, the department specializes in hip and knee replacement surgery using the minimally invasive methods, replacement/revision of prostheses, orthopaedic oncology, foot surgery and patella problems in the patella.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery, Foot Surgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery, Foot Surgery offers the full range of diagnostics, conservative and surgical treatment of musculoskeletal diseases and injuries. The department is a certified Endoprosthetics Center – more than 1,000 primary joint replacement surgeries are performed here annually. The surgeons of the Endoprosthetics Center also specialize in particularly complex clinical cases and revision procedures for the replacement of previously implanted artificial joints. In addition, the department has the status of the interregional Trauma Center certified in accordance with the standards of the German Trauma Society. The department has also been awarded a Certificate of Excellence from the German Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (DAF) in the field of foot surgery. A separate area of clinical activity is the treatment of diseases, injuries and congenital malformations of the musculoskeletal system in children. Depending on the severity of the clinical case, both conservative and surgical techniques are used in the treatment of orthopedic pathologies in children. The department's medical team prefers sparing low-traumatic surgery, while open operations are performed only if other therapeutic options are ineffective.
Department of General Orthopedics and Orthopedic Oncology
The Department of General Orthopedics and Orthopedic Oncology offers the full range of conservative and surgical treatment of all musculoskeletal diseases. The department ranks among the largest medical facilities of this kind in Germany, as well as among the specialized authoritative departments for the treatment of bone and soft tissue tumors in the European medical arena. The treatment is carried out both on an outpatient and inpatient basis, including the outpatient operations. In addition to its successful clinical activities, the department is proud of its productive research work, which has given birth to many innovations in orthopedics, for example, the department's specialists have patented the very latest prosthetic systems, particularly in the field of orthopedic oncology.
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology
According to the Focus magazine, the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology ranks among the top German medical facilities specializing in the treatment of injuries of any severity! The department offers the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services to patients with diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system. The department has been certified by the German Society of Traumatology as a supra-regional Trauma Center. In addition, the medical institution is a certified Center for Gerontological Traumatology, the Center for Arthroscopy and Joint Surgery.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Orthopedic Surgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Orthopedic Surgery offers all the diagnostic and therapeutic options for patients with musculoskeletal diseases. The main clinical tasks of the department include arthroscopic surgery, endoprosthetics, foot surgery, orthopedic rheumatology, sports orthopedics, orthopedic oncology, septic surgery, spinal surgery. The department’s specialists also have excellent qualifications and rich experience in the treatment of children with diseases of the orthopedic spectrum. The doctors of the department have at their disposal all modern conservative and surgical treatments that have proven their effectiveness at the international level.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics offers the full range of accurate diagnostics and effective treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system in patients of all age groups. The clinical focuses of the department's specialists include the treatment of diseases of the joints, spine, hand, foot, bone and soft tissue tumors, bone tissue and joint infections, orthopedic pathologies in children, and orthopedic rheumatology. The therapeutic options include both conservative and surgical therapy.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Orthopedic Surgery, Foot Surgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Orthopedic Surgery, Foot Surgery offers the full range of services in the areas of its specialization. The department carries out comprehensive diagnostic examinations of the musculoskeletal system as well as effective conservative and surgical treatment of pathologies of the joints, tendons, muscles, and bones. The department's team of doctors is always trying to solve the problem with the musculoskeletal system using conservative methods such as drug therapy, intra-articular injections, therapeutic exercises, physiotherapy, and massage. The department also has a pool for swimming and therapeutic exercises in the water, a well-equipped gym, and electrotherapy rooms. In complex clinical cases, doctors resort to surgical interventions, but almost all of them are performed with low-traumatic techniques, which allow a patient to restore mobility as soon as possible. One of the most important focuses of work in the surgical field is knee, hip, and shoulder replacement surgery. The department has passed the endoCert certification that is awarded to the best orthopedic medical facilities only. The specialists also have a perfect command of arthroscopic techniques for treating joints.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Trauma Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Trauma Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery offers the full range of surgical and conservative treatment methods for musculoskeletal diseases and injuries. The department is a supraregional Trauma Center in Central Franconia. About 250 seriously injured patients receive medical care here every year. The department's specialists also annually admit more than 3,500 patients for inpatient treatment and provide outpatient care for about 25,000 patients. The department is recognized as one of the 10 largest and leading medical facilities specializing in the treatment of polytrauma in Germany. Its specialization also includes highly qualified medical care for patients with sports injuries. In addition, the department provides treatment for bone fractures, spinal fractures and polytrauma in children. The department successfully performs knee, hip, shoulder and elbow replacement surgery, including revision interventions to replace previously implanted prostheses. The surgeons of the medical facility have a perfect command of arthroscopic techniques and use them in the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. The department is distinguished by its successful experience in spinal surgery (in cooperation with neurosurgeons) and interventions on the pelvic bones, as well as in septic surgery.
Department of Shoulder and Knee Surgery, Sports Orthopedics
The Department of Shoulder and Knee Surgery, Sports Orthopedics offers the full range of services in this fields. It uses the most modern treatments, high-quality endoprostheses of famous world manufacturers, which, in combination with the rich clinical experience and professionalism of doctors guarantees the optimal result. In addition, the department treats sports injuries of varying severity.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery, Spinal Surgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery, Spinal Surgery provides a wide range of top-class medical services in its areas of expertise. The department successfully performs knee, hip, shoulder, and elbow replacement surgery, arthroscopic procedures on the large joints, osteosarcoma resection surgery, and spinal surgery. The department has an emergency service that specializes in the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries of any severity, including sports injuries. The department offers a variety of conservative treatment methods for orthopedic diseases and spinal pathologies. The department's medical team has three operating rooms, one of which is designed for outpatient surgical procedures. The department performs more than 2,500 scheduled and emergency surgeries each year; more than 25% of all surgeries are performed on an outpatient basis, allowing patients to return home the same day. When diagnosing and treating patients, the department's physicians follow the recommendations of the German Society for Orthopaedics and Traumatology (DGOU).
Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Traumatology, Sports Medicine
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Traumatology, Sports Medicine provides the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services for the patients with musculoskeletal injuries and diseases, including sports injuries. The department provides treatment to both adults and children. In the field of pediatric orthopedics, the focus is on the treatment of hip dysplasia, clubfoot correction, as well as on the treatment of fractures and other injuries in children. The department is distinguished by its exceptional experience in the field of knee, hip and shoulder replacement surgery. In addition, the department provides effective treatment for shoulder, elbow and ankle diseases, performs surgery for the treatment of spinal diseases and interventions for the correction of foot deformities. The department is certified as the Trauma Center by the German Trauma Society (DGU). The department's doctors annually admit more than 4,500 inpatients. The main goal of all the employees of the medical facility is to eliminate pain and movement disorders, which worsen the patient's quality of life.
Department of Traumatology, Hand and Foot Surgery
The Department of Traumatology, Hand and Foot Surgery offers comprehensive diagnostics of the musculoskeletal system, as well as conservative and surgical treatment of bone fractures and lesions of the large joints. The department also provides medical care to patients with various diseases and malformations of the hand and foot. Of particular interest to the department's medical team is the treatment of bone fractures, as well as hip, knee and shoulder arthroplasty. The specialists of the medical facility also have successful experience in performing arthroscopic interventions on the large joints. Surgical treatment takes place in high-tech operating rooms with equipment for performing modern minimally invasive interventions that contribute to the patient's speedy recovery and his return to normal life. The treatment regimen is developed on an individual basis and conservative treatment options are considered first. If the patient still requires surgery, the most sparing type of intervention is selected.
Severe injuries or rheumatic diseases can lead to elbow destruction. This results in chronic pain syndrome, impaired joint mobility and stability. Should other treatment options be exhausted, doctors resort to total elbow replacement. The patient's own joint is removed, and an artificial endoprosthesis is implanted instead.
Germany is one of the few countries in the world where thousands of total elbow replacement surgeries are performed every year. The treatment in this country is effective, reliable and safe for health. Germany can boast of an advanced level of medicine. The hospitals are well equipped and the orthopedic surgeons are considered among the best in the world.
You can go to one of the German hospitals for total elbow arthroplasty. The Booking Health website presents the cost of treatment in different German hospitals. We will help you find the most suitable hospital and organize your trip.
Content
- The essence of surgery
- Indications for surgery
- Replacement surgery after injuries
- Replacement surgery for rheumatoid arthritis
- How is the surgery performed?
- After surgery
- How long can an artificial elbow last?
- Why is it worth undergoing surgery in Germany?
- Treatment in Germany with Booking Health
The essence of surgery
The essence of the replacement surgery is that the doctor removes the patient's own tissues in the elbow, and places the components of the artificial endoprosthesis in their place.
The elbow joint is formed by three bones: the ulna, the radius and the humerus. As a rule, two components of the artificial joint are implanted: the ulnar and the humeral ones. Less often, a radial component may be additionally implanted. It is required in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or after severe injury with damage to the radial head.
Elbow replacement surgery is not as successful as replacement surgery for large joints in the lower extremity. However, their results have been constantly improving in recent years. Thousands of such surgical procedures are performed every year in Germany. German specialists use high-quality endoprostheses that can serve for decades.
The result of the operation is complete pain relief. Elbow stability and mobility are restored. The outcomes of surgery may deteriorate gradually. Aseptic loosening of the endoprosthesis occurs after 10-20 years. The second (revision) elbow replacement surgery is performed when the symptoms significantly worsen the patient's quality of life.
The surgery improves function of the elbow and whole upper extremity.
Cost of arthroplasty in elbow arthritis starts from €10,079. You can find other treatment prices on the Booking Health website.
Cost of arthroplasty in elbow arthritis starts from €10,079. You can find other treatment prices on the Booking Health website.
The best hospitals in Germany are:
- ATOS Clinic Munich
- University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich
- Vitos Orthopedic Clinic Kassel
- University Hospital Frankfurt-am-Main
- University Hospital of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Indications for surgery
Elbow replacement surgery is the main treatment method for injuries hopeless for osteosynthesis, their long-term consequences, rheumatoid arthritis and deforming elbow osteoarthritis. The most common indications for surgery are:
- Post-traumatic arthrosis is the most common indication (two-thirds of total elbow replacement surgeries are performed for this disease).
- Pseudarthrosis of the distal humeral epiphyseal cartilage.
- Consequences of rheumatoid arthritis.
Surgery is less often performed for other diseases:
- Primary (idiopathic) elbow osteoarthritis.
- Acute fracture.
- Bone tumors.
- Psoriatic arthritis.
- Congenital contractures.
- Dyschondroplasia.
- Syringomyelic arthropathy.
- Arthrogryposis.
- Pseudarthrosis of the proximal ulna.
Replacement surgery after injuries
Patients often develop arthrosis after traumatic elbow injuries. In addition, some recent injuries are very severe. If the doctor realizes that the restoration of the patient's own joint is unlikely, he offers the patient a total elbow replacement surgery.
The older the patient, the easier it is for the doctor to decide on the advisability for replacement surgery. At the same time, young people try to avoid such operations. This is due to the fact that even the most modern prostheses cannot function forever. Sooner or later, an operation to replace the endoprosthesis will be required.
Elbow injuries are common among young people. Approximately 25% of elbow replacement surgeries are performed before the age of 40.
The main indications are:
- Non-fused or improperly fused fractures.
- Pseudoarthrosis.
- Dislocations that lead to grade 3-4 arthrosis.
- Defect-pseudoarthrosis of the condylus humeri.
- Significant post-traumatic defects of the bones that form the elbow joint.
Elbow replacement is avoided for recent injuries. It is performed only in extreme cases, mainly in elderly patients.
Many patients are operated on after several unsuccessful attempts of conservative treatment and osteosynthesis. The replacement surgery becomes the last resort when other methods of restoring the upper limb function and relieving pain do not work.
In both young and elderly patients, even minor elbow injury can eventually lead to osteoarthritis. It progresses gradually, and after a few years it becomes severe. As a result, the patient may need to replace the elbow even long after the injury.
Replacement surgery for rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis affects the elbow in 50% of patients. Moreover, in 5% of patients, this is the only focus of inflammation.
Conservative therapy is usually successful, but sometimes it does not allow the doctors to obtain a sufficient effect, and after a few years the joint is destroyed. Chronic pain and dysfunction of the upper limb forces doctors to resort to total elbow replacement.
As of today, Germany performs replacement surgery for rheumatoid arthritis less often. The decrease in the number of surgeries is caused by the improvement of conservative therapy.
In most cases, surgical interventions are performed in the long term after a traumatic elbow injury. Even minor injuries can cause severe long-term consequences. The function of the joint is gradually impaired, and stiffness or instability of the elbow may develop. The patient may also develop bone overgrowth inside, causing pain and damaging the articular cartilage. In severe cases, there is a total fusion of the articular surfaces – ankylosis (total immobility of the elbow joint).
The peculiarity of the total elbow replacement for rheumatoid arthritis is that the doctor often implants not only the humeral and ulnar, but also the radial component of the endoprosthesis. How reliable the results will be depends on the quality of medical care and the patient's health. The rate of wear and tear of the endoprosthesis is increased by a high body mass index and high levels of inflammation markers in the blood, which indicates a severe course of rheumatoid arthritis.
How is the surgery performed?
The surgery is performed under general anesthesia. The patient is placed on his stomach with his arm extended. A roller is placed under the elbow. It is also possible to use the position of the patient on the back with the hand freely lying on the chest.
The doctor makes an incision along the back of the arm. He releases the ulnar nerve and takes it on a rubber grip to avoid injury. Then the bone structures of the elbow joint are excised. The components of the endoprosthesis are implanted instead. The doctor can use both cement and cementless fixation techniques.
Some additional therapeutic manipulations may be sometimes required during replacement surgery. These include:
- Removal of bone fragments, which remained inside the joint after its traumatic injury.
- Plastic surgery of the triceps tendon in case of its tear (the tendon of the palmaris longus is used for replacement).
- Microsurgical free muscle grafting – in case of a soft tissue defect or in the presence of gross post-traumatic scars (the procedure improves elbow function, prolongs the life of the endoprosthesis and reduces the risk of infectious complications).
The doctor forms a new ulnar nerve bed. It is placed in such a way that there is no contact with either bone or metal.
After surgery
After the surgical intervention, the patient must spend several days in the hospital. On the first day, drainage can remain in his wound – a thin tube through which fluid flows. The elbow is fixed with a soft bandage.
The patient receives drug therapy. They are prescribed drugs to relieve pain. Antibiotics are used to prevent infections. In order to reduce the risk of thromboembolic complications, the patient takes anticoagulants – drugs that reduce blood clotting.
Early rehabilitation begins immediately after the intervention. The patient receives massage, physiotherapy, but elbow exercises have not yet been used. It is fixed in the position of maximum extension. The arm should remain straight for 3-5 days until the postoperative edema subsides.
When the edema is eliminated, the patient begins to work out the elbow. He performs exercises, and by the end of 2 weeks, the range of motion will achieve the maximum amplitude. By that time, soft tissues heal.
The intensity of the exercises can be increased after 2-3 weeks. Pool workouts and hydromassages are often used. According to the results of treatment and rehabilitation, most patients get rid of pain and completely restore the range of motion in the operated extremity.
How long can an artificial elbow last?
Total elbow arthroplasty becomes an increasingly common operation, especially in countries with developed medicine. Over the past 10 years, the number of primary surgical interventions performed has tripled. At the same time, the number of revision operations increased 5 times. This suggests that previously implanted endoprostheses wear out rapidly, and the doctors carry out their replacement.
In general, elbow replacement does not provide as reliable long-term results as hip or knee replacement. However, the results are constantly improving. Even now, the best endoprostheses can last for 15-20 years. Moreover, these results were obtained in patients who were operated on at the beginning of the 21st century. It is still impossible to say for sure how long the new types of endoprostheses, which are implanted today, will last. Surely, their service life will be even longer, since medical technology is constantly being improved.
Young people often suffer from elbow injuries. Many replacement surgeries are performed before the age of 40. In this case, wear and tear of the artificial joint during life is inevitable. It is not difficult to calculate at what age the second operation will be performed. If the patient was first operated on at the age of 40, then the endoprosthesis will have to be changed at about 55-60 years.
Although the lifespan of the artificial joint can be increased. For this purpose, it is necessary to control weight and avoid heavy physical exertion. Over the 20 years during which the prosthesis will maintain good functional characteristics, scientists will develop new types of artificial joints, which will be even more reliable and durable.
Revision surgery in Germany is as successful as the primary one. Even if the endoprosthesis wears out over time, it can be replaced to fully restore arm function.
Why is it worth undergoing surgery in Germany?
Replacement surgery belongs to the complex, high-tech and science-intensive areas of medicine. The results of endoprosthetics of all joints are not the same in different hospitals and different countries. The health risks also differ. Complications, successful and unsatisfactory functional treatment outcomes occur with varying frequency.
This concerns elbow replacement first of all. If large joints of the lower extremity are often replaced in any country in the world, elbow replacement is not such a common surgical procedure. It is performed much more often in developed countries than in countries with a low level of medicine. German doctors have vast experience in performing elbow replacement, have at their disposal the best equipment and the very latest types of endoprostheses. Therefore, they achieve better results in arthritis treatment.
Here are several reasons for you to undergo total elbow replacement in Germany:
- Reliable surgery outcomes.
- Treatment is safe for health, complications are very rare.
- After total elbow replacement, good and excellent results are achieved in more than 90% of patients. They feel complete pain relief and restore the function of the upper extremity.
- Only reliable endoprostheses are used, which serve for decades.
- Proper placement will extend the service life of the artificial elbow.
- Full-fledged care and rehabilitation after surgery.
- Affordable cost of treatment as compared to other developed countries.
Treatment in Germany with Booking Health
To undergo total elbow replacement in Germany, please use the Booking Health services. On our website, you can see the cost of treatment in different German hospitals, compare prices and book a medical program at an affordable price.
Please contact the Booking Health specialists to undergo treatment in Germany. Here are our benefits for you:
- We will choose the best orthopedic hospital whose doctors specialize in total elbow replacement.
- We will help you overcome the language barrier, establish communication with the German hospital and your attending physician.
- We will reduce the waiting time for the medical care program and book a doctor's appointment on the most suitable dates.
- We will reduce the price. The cost of treatment in Germany will be decreased due to the lack of additional coefficients for foreign patients.
- We will take care of all organizational issues: documents for entering the country, transfer from the airport, hotel, interpreter, etc.
- We will prepare a program and translate medical documents into German. You do not have to undergo previously performed diagnostic procedures.
- We will provide communication with the hospital upon the completion of treatment in Germany.
- We will organize additional medical examinations, treatment in Germany or rehabilitation, if necessary.
- We will buy and forward medicines to your native country.
- We will help you keep in touch with the hospital after treatment in Germany.
Booking Health makes treatment in Germany easier, faster and cheaper. We will fully organize your trip, and you will only have to focus on restoring your health.
Authors: Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova, Dr. Farrukh Ahmed
