THE SMART CHOICE FOR GLOBAL HEALTHCARE Home Contact Us About Us Email

The cost for total knee replacement surgery at Ramkhamhaeng Hospital is Baht 300,000 or $9,000 at current exchange rates. You will find a Currency Converter here. Please email us at info@ramhospital.com for more specific information.
We offer Zimmer High Flex Knee Replacement procedures.

These provide flexibility of up to 155 degrees of movement
versus 120 for standard replacement knees.

A letter we have received from Mr. Rod Roberts, one of our knee replacement patients.

'50 something and crippled with arthritis in both knees, a failing NHS and very high private medical charges in the UK and to a lesser extent in Europe. All I needed was a less expensive option but it had to offer high standards of surgery and medical care - a tall order. Using the internet I found the Ramkhamhaeng Hospital, after a lot of E-mails answering my details questions about what would happen to me I arrived in Bangkok - late Oct 03

Prior to the operation as is typical of OA of the knees suffers my legs were bowed and very odd shaped knees 26 pills a day did little to dull the pain. SIX weeks Post Op I now sport a very smart straight pair of legs, I also feel taller, the transition is amazing. Over the next few weeks I will be returning to swimming, then gentle cycling and by the Spring mountain biking my greatest passion A NEW PAIN FREE LIFE. How did I get to this stage...? Thro the skill of the surgeon( Dr Sangad Limpiwattakee) and his surgical team, the excellent nursing care 24 seven and the physiotherapy staff who literally got me back on my feet. within days of the operation. The standard of nursing care I received was very much higher than I had experienced in the UK recently.

In my experience all the staff at Ramkhamhaeng Hospital could not do enough to help me and make my stay as comfortable as possible. An important feature was the support I had from the International Patient Support team(Jon and Dennis) collection from the airport, regular hospital visits and internet access in my room, importantly if I had any non medical problems they could help to resolve them.

What is a total knee replacement?

A total knee replacement is a surgical procedure whereby the diseased knee joint is replaced with artificial material. The knee is a hinge joint which provides motion at the point where the thigh meets the lower leg. The thigh bone (or femur) abuts the large bone of the lower leg (tibia) at the knee joint. During a total knee replacement, the end of the femur bone is removed and replaced with a metal shell. The end of the lower leg bone (tibia) is also removed and replaced with a channeled plastic piece with a metal stem. Depending on the condition of the kneecap portion of the knee joint, a plastic "button" may also be added under the kneecap surface.

The posterior cruciate ligament is a tissue that normally stabilizes each side of the knee joint so that the lower leg cannot slide backward in relation to the thigh bone. In total knee replacement surgery, this ligament is either retained, sacrificed, or substituted by a polyethylene post. Each of these various designs of total knee replacement has its benefits and risks.

What patients should consider a total knee replacement?

Total knee replacement surgery is considered for patients whose knee joints have been damaged by either progressive arthritis, trauma, or other rare destructive diseases of the joint. The most common reason for knee replacement in the United States is severe osteoarthritis of the knees.

For further information, please see the Osteoarthritis article of MedicineNet.com. Regardless of the cause of the damage to the joint, the resulting progressively increasing pain and stiffness, and decreasing daily function lead the patient to consider total knee replacement. Decisions regarding whether or when to undergo knee replacement surgery are not easy. Patients should understand the risks as well as the benefits before making these decisions.

What are the risks of undergoing a total knee replacement?

Risks of total knee replacement include blood clots in the legs that can travel to the lungs (pulmonary embolism). Pulmonary embolism can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, and even shock. Other risks include urinary tract infection, nausea and vomiting (usually related to pain medication), chronic knee pain and stiffness, bleeding into the knee joint, nerve damage, blood vessel injury, and infection of the knee which can require re-operation. Furthermore, the risks of anesthesia include potential heart, lung, kidney, and liver damage.

What is involved with the preoperative evaluation for total knee replacement?

Before surgery, joints adjacent to the diseased knee are carefully evaluated. This is important to ensure optimal outcome from the surgery. Replacing a knee joint which is adjacent to a severely damaged joint may not yield significant improvement in function. Furthermore, all medications which the patient is taking are reviewed. Blood thinning medications such as warfarin (Coumadin), and anti-inflammatory medications such as Aspirin, may have to be adjusted or discontinued prior to surgery.

Routine blood tests of liver and kidney function, and urine tests are evaluated for signs of anemia, infection or abnormal metabolism. Chest x-ray and EKG are performed to exclude significant heart and lung disease which may preclude surgery or anesthesia. Finally, it is less likely to have good long-term outcome if the patient's weight is greater than 200 pounds. Excess body weight simply puts the replaced knee at an increased risk of loosening and/or dislocation.

A similar risk is encountered in younger patients who may tend to be more active, thereby adding trauma to the replaced joint.

What happens in the postoperative period?

A total knee replacement generally requires between one and one- half to three hours of operative time. After surgery, patients are taken to a recovery room, where vital organs are frequently monitored. When stabilized, patients are returned to their hospital room.

Passage of urine can be difficult in the immediate postoperative period, and this condition can be aggravated by pain medications. A catheter inserted into the urethra (a Foley catheter) allows free passage of urine until the patient becomes more mobile.

Physical therapy is an extremely important part of rehabilitation and requires full participation by the patient for optimal outcome. Patients can begin physical therapy forty-eight hours after surgery. Some degree of pain, discomfort, and stiffness can be expected during the early days of physical therapy. Knee immobilizers are used in order to stabilize the knee while undergoing physical therapy, walking, and sleeping. They may be removed under the guidance of the therapist for various portions of physical therapy.

Our English speaking International Visitor support staff. They will meet you at the airport, take you to your hotel, escort you to the hospital everyday, answer your questions, and then escort you back to the airport.

To chat live with The DocBangkok use
Yahoo Messenger ID The_docbangkok@yahoo.com
Windows Messenger thedocbangkok@hotmail.com

Ramkhamhaeng (pronounced ram-cam-hang) Hospital sits at the center of one of Thailand’s largest and most respected hospital groups. With 350 beds and seven sister hospitals Ramkhamhaeng has the resources, experience and expertise to provide international quality health care at very competitive prices. This combined with a long tradition of Thai hospitality has earned Ramkhamhaeng Hospital the confidence of the people of Thailand, the Region, and the World.

Thailand has gained renown for all forms of cosmetic surgery, cardiac care, and other types of specialized medicine. Ramkhamhaeng Hospital has many internationally trained doctors with world-class credentials. In this era of jet travel, computers, and the Internet, Globalized medicine has arrived. We offer world class healthcare in a beautiful tropical setting at a fraction of the cost of the USA or Europe. If you pay your own medical bills because it is an elective surgery or you are uninsured and don't have or can't get insurance info@ramhospital.com

We have the latest medical equipment, such as
Cardiac Cath, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), Spiral CT Scan (Spiral Computerized Tomography Scan) and Ultrasound to support our medical staff in the fast and accurate diagnosis and treatment of disease.

The hospital also has a long history of providing quality specialty clinics like Plastic Surgery, Cardiac Rehabilitation, In Vitro Fertilization + Embryo Transfer, and The Test Tube Baby Clinic.

The hospital specializes in personalized services for all our international visitors. We will meet you at the airport and escort you to the hospital, walk you through the hospital stay and then escort you back to the airport for your departure.

info@ramhospital.com