Pollicization Surgery Cost in Germany

The cost of pollicization surgery in Germany typically ranges from $7,000 to $25,000 USD, depending on the hospital, city, and type of procedure.

Pollicization turns the index finger into a thumb for children born without a working thumb, giving them the ability to pinch and grip. In Germany, the total depends on:

• Age of the child: often from about 18 months.
• Surgery: under 2 hours under general anaesthetic.
• Cast and splint: a cast for about 4 weeks.
• Hand therapy: twice weekly for about 2 months.

The Hospital for Special Surgery explains that pollicization is for children who do not have a functional thumb. The typical minimum age is about 18 months, and it is preferably done before preschool.

The operation takes under 2 hours.

A cast is worn for about 4 weeks, followed by about 2 months of therapy twice a week and a night splint.

The new thumb grows with the hand. Risks include stiffness and the need for further surgery.

International patients are usually treated in Germany as self-paying patients: the hospital reviews the medical reports, sends a cost estimate and asks for an advance payment before admission, then settles the final bill after discharge.

Inpatient hospital care in Germany is billed under the German DRG system, which depends on the main diagnosis, other diagnoses and the procedures carried out, so the final amount is known only after the stay.

Ask whether the estimate covers a parent's stay and how hand therapy will continue after you return home.