How Much Does Knee Replacement Surgery Cost?

When you’re grappling with painful knees from Osteoarthritis, finding relief becomes a top priority. While Osteoarthritis itself isn’t curable, various treatment options exist to alleviate symptoms.

Knee replacement surgery is often recommended by orthopedic doctors as a viable solution. However, before you rush to schedule your surgery, it’s crucial to understand the cost of knee replacement surgery—not just financially, but also in terms of time and its impact on your overall quality of life—and what are the non-surgical options for knee pain?

Financial Cost of Knee Replacement Surgery

The financial aspect of knee replacement surgery can vary significantly based on several factors:

• Healthcare Provider and Location: Costs can differ between healthcare providers and geographic regions. Urban centers generally have higher expenses due to higher overhead and demand, whereas rural areas may offer more cost-effective options.
• Insurance Coverage: Health insurance plays a critical role in managing costs. Coverage varies widely based on insurance plans, including deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance. Understanding your insurance benefits and potential out-of-pocket expenses is crucial before proceeding with surgery.
• Additional Expenses: Beyond the surgery itself, additional costs may include preoperative consultations, diagnostic tests (such as MRI scans), post-operative care, physical therapy sessions, and medications. These expenses can add up and should be factored into your financial planning.
• Financial Assistance: Some healthcare providers offer financial assistance programs or payment plans to help manage costs for uninsured or underinsured patients. Exploring these options can provide financial relief and ensure access to necessary care.

Time Cost of Knee Replacement Surgery

Time is one of your most precious resources, so it’s important to understand the potential time-cost of knee replacement surgery as well. When evaluating the cost of knee replacement surgery, consider the duration of the procedure itself, the recovery period, and the impact on daily life and work commitments.

• Preoperative Preparation: Before surgery, patients typically undergo consultations with orthopedic surgeons, physical examinations, and possibly additional tests to assess overall health and readiness for surgery.
• Surgical Procedure: The duration of knee replacement surgery varies depending on the complexity of the procedure. While some surgeries may be relatively short, others, such as total knee replacements, can last several hours.
• Recovery Time: Knee replacement is a significant procedure that requires extensive recovery time. It can take up to a year or more for patients to fully heal and regain strength and mobility in the replaced knee. In some cases, patients do not recover fully.

Cost of Knee Replacement Vs Gel Knee Injections (Viscosupplementation)

• Financial costs: Generally, gel injections are less expensive than knee replacement surgery. The average cost of knee replacement surgery is $35,000 and can go up to $75,000. On the other hand, the cost of gel injections ranges between $1600-$2200.
• Time costs: Knee replacement is time-intensive. Surgery takes hours and requires admission to the hospital. In some cases, recovery can take a year or more. Conversely, gel injections are a quick outpatient procedure that usually takes 15 minutes, with no downtime required.
• Post-op treatment: There is no post-op treatment required after gel injections. Therefore, no additional treatment costs or time costs. In comparison, you require physical therapy post knee surgery, which adds to the total cost of the treatment. It also means you have to take additional time for the physical therapy sessions.
  • Patients typically go right back to their lives after gel injections. Some even go out to eat or play pickleball or golf right after the procedure.

At the Joint Relief Institute, we understand that for some, knee replacement surgery may be the best option for advanced osteoarthritis. However, we encourage patients to explore less invasive treatments first.

Our FDA-approved knee gel injections offer a quick, non-invasive solution with no downtime. With a 90% success rate among over 30,000 patients, our exclusive treatment method has helped many avoid surgery altogether.

If you’re looking for alternatives to surgery to relieve your knee pain, please contact us today to learn more about your options.

• Chicago Office: (708) 722-7514
• Edina (Minneapolis) Office: (952) 214-4278