Arthrodesis Cost in Chennai, India

The cost of arthrodesis in Chennai typically ranges from $510 to $4,900 USD (about ₹48,400 to ₹4.65 lakh), depending on the hospital, room category and type of procedure.

A typical estimate for arthrodesis in Chennai is around $1,650 (about ₹1.57 lakh). What you pay depends mainly on your own case. If a standard implant is used and you stay in a shared room, your bill is likely to be closer to $510 (about ₹48,400). It is likely to be nearer $4,900 (about ₹4.65 lakh) if a specialised implant is used, both sides are treated, it is a repeat operation or you choose a private room.

When comparing Chennai packages for arthrodesis, check whether each quote includes:

• Surgeon and anaesthetist fees
• Operating theatre or procedure room
• Implants, plates or screws
• Physiotherapy
• Hospital stay and room category
• Medicines and consumables
• Follow-up visits before you fly home

Arthrodesis (joint fusion) removes the damaged surfaces of a joint and fixes the bones together so that they grow into one, easing pain from severe arthritis or deformity at the cost of movement in that joint.

The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) makes clear that fusion is used for severe arthritis or to correct deformity, only after non-surgical treatment has failed to control the pain.

The damaged cartilage is removed and the bones are held together with metalwork while they knit, through open surgery or, for the ankle, a keyhole approach.

RNOH estimates a success rate of approximately 90% for ankle fusion, and because the other foot joints still move, most patients walk without a limp and can cycle or play golf.

It outlines approximately 12 weeks in plaster, moving from no weight to full weight, and because smoking greatly raises the risk that the bones do not join, smokers are recommended against fusion.

Fitness to fly: aviation guidance has no single figure for bone and joint surgery, but leg operations make clots on long flights more likely, so ask about prevention; the UK Civil Aviation Authority's medical guidance suggests 24 to 48 hours after a plaster cast.

In Chennai, the price of arthrodesis is generally built from these parts:

• Assessment before surgery: X-rays, scans and a fitness check.
• Theatre and anaesthetic: billed largely on operating time.
• Implant: the make and model of joint, plate or screws.
• Physiotherapy: while you are in hospital and after you leave.
• Joint: ankle, foot, wrist or other.
• Approach: open or keyhole.
• Metalwork: screws, plates or nails.
• Plaster and boot: for approximately three months.

Ask each Chennai hospital for an itemised costing showing any implant, surgeon, theatre, stay and physiotherapy, so offers can be compared fairly.

Orthopaedic departments in Chennai handle joint replacement, arthroscopy and trauma, generally with physiotherapists on site so that you start moving soon after surgery.

Hospitals in Chennai can hold NABH accreditation, India's national quality standard set by a board of the Quality Council of India and itself accredited by ISQua, and the NABH website shows whether an accreditation is still valid.

Joint Commission International (JCI) accredits a number of Indian hospitals, and its public directory lets you check whether a Chennai hospital on your shortlist is currently included.

Foreign patients can apply online for an Indian e-Medical visa, and family members who travel with them for an e-Medical Attendant visa; the official visa website lists the current conditions.