Hip Joint replacement Surgery in Chiang Mai.

[NORDO]

Any helpful tips or experiences with hip replacement in Chiang Mai?

Doctors,  hospitals, total expense, recovery and so forth?

 

I am trying balance cost and total surgery experience here vs Western World, or even Eastern Europe.

[flyingtlger]

Try to locate a physician that can do the "super path" method.

It's the latest and greatest!

 

https://www.stlortho.com/superpath-total-hip-replacement-orthopedic-surgeons-ofallon-mo.html

 

 

[Sheryl]

Costs will vary with the hospital.  Private hospitals about 350k baht. Government, maybe half that.

 

I suggest you see this very qualified specialist at his private clinic to get a better idea of options  https://www.warakornclinic.com/services/

He might be able to do the surgery at Maharaj Nakorn Hospital (government)

 

Wherever it is done, in Thailand the surgical aspect is usually fine but after care physio is a weak point, pretty much have to google it and DIY.

 

 

[gargamon]

9 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

Try to locate a physician that can do the "super path" method.

It's the latest and greatest!

 

https://www.stlortho.com/superpath-total-hip-replacement-orthopedic-surgeons-ofallon-mo.html

 

 

Did you have it done or are you going by the marketing BS on the web?

[NORDO]

23 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

Try to locate a physician that can do the "super path" method.

It's the latest and greatest!

 

https://www.stlortho.com/superpath-total-hip-replacement-orthopedic-surgeons-ofallon-mo.html

 

 

You one of Fred's guys, or just like then icon?

[kickstart]

On 4/8/2025 at 5:17 PM, Sheryl said:

Costs will vary with the hospital.  Private hospitals about 350k baht. Government, maybe half that.

 

I suggest you see this very qualified specialist at his private clinic to get a better idea of options  https://www.warakornclinic.com/services/

He might be able to do the surgery at Maharaj Nakorn Hospital (government)

 

Wherever it is done, in Thailand the surgical aspect is usually fine but after care physio is a weak point, pretty much have to google it and DIY.

 

 

I had hip replacements done now 7 years ago now it was a posterior approach, at a privet hospital, cost then was 270K baht, but I had a ceramic joint leading an active life (we have a small holding rearing a few cattle), that was 25k baht extra, well worth it, your quote of 350k baht would be about right., at the time I was quoted 75k baht at a government hospital ,but I would have to waited for 6 weeks.

After care physio you are well right, you are on your own, I was lucky I have a friend of mine in the Uk who is a physio he gave me a list of YouTube Vidos to look at, I was doing up two 2 hours day of physio for almost 2 months, but it paid off, I have very little problem now .

[flyingtlger]

On 4/8/2025 at 5:28 AM, gargamon said:

Did you have it done or are you going by the marketing BS on the web?

Had both hips replaced last year with this method....

 

[Lorry]

On 4/8/2025 at 12:17 PM, Sheryl said:

but after care physio is a weak point, pretty much have to google it and DIY.

Correct,  and this is why I always advise to do it in the West.

PT is as omnipresent as OP.

I must admit,  I know one (1) guy who did his DIY PT on the beaches of Phuket, he was happy with it, I lost track weeks after his operation (he flew home, for unrelated reasons)

[Lorry]

On 4/8/2025 at 4:54 AM, flyingtlger said:

Try to locate a physician that can do the "super path" method.

It's the latest and greatest!

 

https://www.stlortho.com/superpath-total-hip-replacement-orthopedic-surgeons-ofallon-mo.html

 

 

Sounds very much like standard minimal invasive hip surgery,  afaik the Germans started these methods about 20 years ago and they have become very widespread.

 

Unfortunately,  the website is only marketing BS and they don't tell you what they really do.

 

You still can find surgeons who use the methods of the 90's. Don't go there. 

[PomPolo]

Also depends upon your age I had a bad accident when I was younger so around 40 years old had chronic arthritis in my hip but was advised in the UK a hip resurfacing would be better than a replacement and give me more mobility being younger and probably last longer, 15 years on and still holding up well.  I know the resurfacing's have technologically improved a lot even since then may be worth exploring those options also although not sure if there are age recommendations on those, under 60-65 could be a good candidate for a resurfacing is definitely a more recommended option for people that are more active if you fit the requirements.

A quick google and the prices look similar to a replacement, I have never looked back on my resurfacing.

[GammaGlobulin]

Also, maybe, compare pricing at Taiwan's National Taiwan University Hospital.

Surgeons there are quite good, and trained in the USA, if you find the right one.

Taiwan, apparently, is fairly advanced in all things orthopedic.

The staff of hospitals in Taiwan are very well trained, if you choose NTU or the ChangGen Hospital in Linkou...

Stay out of country hospitals, probably everywhere in the world, if possible.

 

[gargamon]

18 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

Had both hips replaced last year with this method....

 

That's good. In Thailand or elsewhere? And how much, if anything, did it cost?

[flyingtlger]

7 hours ago, gargamon said:

That's good. In Thailand or elsewhere? And how much, if anything, did it cost?

I had it done in the US. There aren't that many physicians properly trained to do it. They use VR goggles so everything is done in 3D. Pretty advanced and wild. Normally, most physicians will not do both hips in the same year but I recovered well after my first surgery so the doctor agreed to do it (3 months after the first operation).  Each hip surgery was just a little over 100K USD but most of it was paid by my medical insurance.

[gargamon]

16 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

I had it done in the US. There aren't that many physicians properly trained to do it. They use VR goggles so everything is done in 3D. Pretty advanced and wild. Normally, most physicians will not do both hips in the same year but I recovered well after my first surgery so the doctor agreed to do it (3 months after the first operation).  Each hip surgery was just a little over 100K USD but most of it was paid by my medical insurance.

PM me please the Dr you used. I'm heading to the US tomorrow to look at getting a hip replaced. Hopefully my Medicare will cover a portion.

[drtreelove]

13 minutes ago, gargamon said:

PM me please the Dr you used. I'm heading to the US tomorrow to look at getting a hip replaced. Hopefully my Medicare will cover a portion.

Dr James Huddleston at Stanford Joint replacement center, Redwood City CA and Stanford Hospital, Palo Alto. He's done thousands.

And the Stanford team and new hospital are awesome. Mine was five years ago and I couldn't be more pleased and grateful for a "new lease on life". I've been pain-free, in my 70s I do outdoor physical work, hike and mt bike. There are many good docs for this in Calif and the US and its a very much in-demand surgery, with considerable waiting times for appointments at the most popular clincs. 

 

Medicare plus an AARP United Health Care 'supplement' covered 100% of my bilateral titanium hip replacements. That's why I went back to Cali for this. But unless you have existing Medicare coverage in place, you will have to go through the "open enrollment' process during  Jan - March. And then the supplement policy enrollment. Once your medicare coverage is secured, you will need a "primary care physician" to refer you to a specialist. Then the orthopedist appointment, mine was a three month wait just for first exam at Stanford, then the surgery appointment was another 3 month wait. Second hip was done 6 months later. So over a year to get it all done. With DOGE cutting SSA staffing I don't know how Medicare enrollment is being affected.

 

Recovery was remarkably smooth, especially compared to my previous knee replacements. The prescribed physical therapy I found lame and boring, so I ditched the appointments and did my own. Being as healthy as possible and not over-weight will make it all much easier.