Hip replacement: how much does the surgery cost in Italy? And who is it recommended for? All the answers to your questions about this surgical procedure.
Hip replacement surgery is a common procedure that can relieve pain and improve mobility in people with hip osteoarthritis.
The cost of hip replacement varies depending on the type of surgery required, the hospital, and the region.
In this article we compare the cost of hip replacement surgery in the public and private sectors in Italy and examine the cases in which it is recommended.
Indications and types of hip prostheses
Deciding to undergo hip replacement surgery is an important step toward healing from osteoarthritis and other conditions that affect the joint, allowing you to return to daily life without pain.
Among these conditions are:
- arthritis;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- osteoarthrosis;
- femoral neck fracture;
- cancers.
What these conditions, except for the last two, have in common is the presence of cartilage damage followed by inflammation and pain.
The pain is localized in the groin, sometimes on the side or buttock, and worsens with prolonged use of the joint.
The ultimate goal of hip replacement surgery is to insert a “new joint” that replaces the damaged bone or cartilage.
The surgery is recommended particularly when the pain is resistant to pain relief therapy or when daily pain medication is required to maintain a normal life.
Some patients may experience nighttime pain, difficulty getting up and impaired daily activities.
When conservative treatments do not provide benefits, the only way to definitively resolve the issue is through surgery.
Who needs hip replacement surgery?
Specifically the surgery is recommended for patients with hip osteoarthritis who exhibit any of the following symptoms:
- pain when walking
- limited or no benefit from conservative treatments
- pain that is resistant to pain relief therapies
- limited joint mobility
- compromised daily activities
- significant difficulty rising from a seated position
- difficulty sleeping at night due to pain.
All patients can recover with a hip prosthesis.
The surgery alleviates pain and stiffness, improving the patient’s quality of life and autonomy.
However, treating pain and functional disability resulting from joint disease is not solely dependent on surgery.
The patient should undergo a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program starting from the preoperative period, which should be monitored throughout the postoperative period until returning to optimal functional status and work capacity in a timely manner.
Hip replacement surgery: private or covered by the National Health Service (SSN)?
First of all there are two types of hip replacement surgery: total hip replacement and partial hip replacement.
The total one is more expensive than the partial because it involves replacing both parts of the hip joint, while the partial replaces only the femoral part of the joint.
In Italy the surgery can be performed privately, through health insurance or through the National Health Service (SSN).
If you have health insurance, your insurance company will partially or fully cover the cost of the hip replacement surgery depending on the policy conditions.
Instead, if you don’t have health insurance, you are responsible for paying the entire cost of the hip replacement surgery if you choose to have it done privately.
If you undergo hip replacement surgery through the NHS (SSN), you won’t have to pay anything for your surgery.
The cost of hip replacement with the NHS (SSN) is therefore zero, provided that the chosen hospital is within your region and complies with all administrative and bureaucratic deadlines.
Depending on individual circumstances, if you don’t have health insurance and want to have hip replacement surgery done quickly, then private healthcare can be an excellent solution.
On the other side, if you don’t have health insurance, but are willing to wait a few months for the surgery, then it’s possible to have hip replacement surgery through the regional or national healthcare system.
It should be noted that waiting times for surgery can vary greatly depending on the region where you live.
Who can you contact in Tuscany?
In Tuscany you can contact Dr. Vanni Strigelli: he consults at various facilities in Florence and Pontassieve and performs his surgical activities at Valdisieve Hospital, both privately and under the National Health Service (S.S.N.).
For the S.S.N. waiting times can vary, but are typically within 2 to 3 months for procedures under the system and between 10 to 20 days for those who opt for private services or have health insurance.
