Replacement knee - 30 year model - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

cmac2012 · #1 11-23-2011, 11:01 PM

Tom mentioned something about holding out for the new 30 year artificial knee, this in a thread of a year or so back about artificial knees. This group in Vermont seem to have a pretty good facility and routine, certainly sounds cutting edge to my innocent ears.

New Knee Implant Option - VERILAST Knee Technology from Smith & Nephew - Fletcher Allen

This site has some information about knee replacement surgery abroad:

Knee replacement cost - cost of knee replacement surgery

Estimated cost of knee replacement surgery:

Country Price (USD)
United States $45,000-$60,000
Singapore $18,000-$22,500
Thailand $12,000-$14,200
Taiwan $9,000 - $10,100
India $7,000 - $11,200

I'm guessing that you're not necessarily going to get the latest hardware and procedures in India or Taiwan, or any of them for that matter. But I might be wrong on that. Bears investigation.

kerry · #2 11-23-2011, 11:33 PM

About 8 yrs ago when I was researching artificial spinal discs, the Europeans were far more advanced in the discs themselves and in the surgery. It wouldn't surprise me if other parts of the globe were learning from the Europeans and doing comparable work. I would have gone to Europe to have the work done except I found someone in the USA who could solve my problem without fusing my spine. I read lots of stories of US citizens traveling to Europe for spinal discs. Most of the surgeries went well. I did read of one nightmare experience. European malpractice laws are very different. You sign away your right to sue over there.

cmac2012 · #3 11-24-2011, 12:41 AM

It is daunting to think about what might go wrong. If there was some complication, you'd be hard pressed to do the legwork to gain some satisfaction. Seems you'd almost need a good advocate with you, or one on short notice call anyway, or it could end up being a lousy way to spend your final weeks.

kerry · #4 11-24-2011, 12:52 AM

8 yrs ago there was the beginnings of a market for advocates who helped people thru the process, traveled with them, and served as the go-between for the patient and the hospital. It was not clear to me who paid for their services. The one I was familiar with had had the surgery done himself a few years prior.
The one instance of a serious problem I followed was a patient who had a lumber artificial disc implanted in Germany. On the flight back to the USA, things started going badly wrong. Either the disc moved or had not been located correctly on the vertabra. US doctors took a look at him and refused to try to correct the problem. He was faced with a flight back to Germany for corrective work. Last I knew he hadn't done it since his mistrust level was very high.

Botnst · #5 11-24-2011, 01:43 AM

we all have our kneeds.

cmac2012 · #6 11-24-2011, 01:48 AM

Of course the debate is around whether our needs should be jointly supported.

Botnst · #7 11-24-2011, 01:59 AM

Heh!

t walgamuth · #8 11-24-2011, 07:09 AM

I had a partial (inner half) replacement on my left knee. It should last at least 15 years and does not destroy too much of the original bone so allows a full replacement to be done later for another fifteen years or so. At age 62 with family history suggesting possible life span of ninety something this was a good choice for me.

I could not find anybody in Indiana that was doing partial replacements as a part of their routine. My daughter the pediatrician hooked me up with a surgeon in Columbus OH who does a lot of them. He did an excellent job. Mine was done in February this year and after six months it was working so good that I have to stop and think now sometimes to remember which knee was done.

MS Fowler · #9 11-24-2011, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmac2012

It is daunting to think about what might go wrong. If there was some complication, you'd be hard pressed to do the legwork to gain some satisfaction. Seems you'd almost need a good advocate with you, or one on short notice call anyway, or it could end up being a lousy way to spend your final weeks.

you'd be hard pressed to do the legwork
in a thread about knee replacement--THAT is funny!!

cmac2012 · #10 11-24-2011, 07:12 PM

^ HAH! Must have been subliminable, I hadn't thought of that one.

Oddly enough, Current TV has a one hour piece called "Under the Knife Abroad" about medical tourism. I haven't watched all of it from start to finish but it looks informative, at least in a small way. One subject goes to India.

cmac2012 · #11 11-25-2011, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

I had a partial (inner half) replacement on my left knee. It should last at least 15 years and does not destroy too much of the original bone so allows a full replacement to be done later for another fifteen years or so. At age 62 with family history suggesting possible life span of ninety something this was a good choice for me.

I could not find anybody in Indiana that was doing partial replacements as a part of their routine. My daughter the pediatrician hooked me up with a surgeon in Columbus OH who does a lot of them. He did an excellent job. Mine was done in February this year and after six months it was working so good that I have to stop and think now sometimes to remember which knee was done.

That sounds appealing. Not sure what my situation calls for, I'm going to get x-rays next week and then perhaps shop around for an MRI. I've read that there is some controversy about knee-jerk use of the MRI (oh yeah, it's a horrible pun), the POV is that doctors have gotten lazy and often don't know when the much more expensive MRI is called for and when it's not needed.

My previous cycle of flareups followed by a healing of sorts is perhaps at an end. The knee is painful much of the time. I can't walk down an incline w/o a serious limp. On the level I can mostly hide it. Oh well, like I didn't know it wasn't coming. Or something like that.

t walgamuth · #12 11-25-2011, 05:43 AM

I am not certain of the total cost. I believe the surgeon was between four and five thousand. I suppose the hospital and everything else must have been between five and ten. I think it was total between ten and fifteen thousand. My insurance paid all but about 1250.

It is a life changer though. I can walk briskly now and almost jog on a treadmill. I can walk in 22 minutes 1.25 miles at about 3.5 mph.

Because my right femur is about 3/4" longer than the left, and a lift on my left shoe, left over from my hip replacement, I have a bit of a roll in my gait which does not seem to slow me down. I have found that if I wear one of my pairs of shoes all day my back gets sore though.