Hip replacements abroad

[WelshMoth]

DM needs a new hip. She's a sprightly 80 yr old and has become lame over the last 2 months. No waking, no yoga, no swimming (she can't get in and out of her local pool).

It's a 3 yr waiting list with our NHS so she's considering private.

Has anyone here got experience of their relatives going abroad to get this treatment? Even paying privately, I hear that the aftercare isn't as good as abroad.

We are considering all options. I know that my Mum is very lucky to be able to pay, but if she is going privately, she wants the best money can get. Can anyone give any advice?

Hopeful bump

Thanks @WeeOrcadian
Perhaps I should have put this in Chat!!
I'll give it 24 hrs then I'll try there x

I know two people, one shoulder done privately in UK around 12k, one hip at some clinic in Eastern Europe around 5k, first person still on daily pain fillers , second person couldn’t speak highly enough about the whole experience, pain free now.
Personally I had treatment done abroad ( aesthetic ) and never had an issue, do your research would be my advice 👍

killers not fillers 😂

My Mum had a hip replacement done in Germany in the time before Brexit where the NH S fave.a.fixed sum. It was very well done and the woumd was tiny. Recovery in hospital.included a lot of pretty challenging phyical therapy which I understand is different from the UK and she was also given enormous ice packs for several days after the op, again a difference.
I think you might need to give more info in your op what countries is your mum looking at?

I would pay privately here tbh. Try Beneden? Lots of private UK surgeries cover aftercare. If your mum had this surgery abroad, what would happen regarding her after care, how long would she intend to stay abroad? what if something went wrong, her travel insurance wouldn’t cover her for surgery abroad, and wouldn’t the journey back be uncomfortable for her?

Would depend very much on the package of care (including pre and post-op) & I'd probably advise any 80 yr old relative against having that sort of thing done abroad (FWIW I regularly anaesthetise for hip replacements). Would also need to consider the travel insurance etc.

Thanks. These are the exact questions that bother her - was hoping for anecdotal advice here.

Thank you.

Lithuania seems to be mentioned a lot in conversations with people in RL and Google searches bring up a clinic endorsed by Ionathan Edwards although it would be foolish to not check the validity of this.

Thank you.
If the pre and post op care was lengthy and thorough, would you still advise against it?

I wouldn't travel abroad. Have you looked at nhs treatment in local private hospitals. The wait time is usually far less than nhs hospitals. Ring around the hospitals and see if they can give you an idea of the wait time. Your mum's gp would have to refer her but hopefully that wouldn't be a problem.

I can’t speak for relatives in their 80s, but I do know someone (Jonathan) who went abroad for a hip replacement not long ago and had a brilliant experience with Thera Travel. He was facing a year-long NHS wait and nearly £20k private in the UK, but ended up getting everything sorted in Latvia for less than half the price.