Hip Replacement in Ireland – waiting lists after Covid-19:

Total Hip Replacement is a highly successful surgery in which parts of the hip joint damaged by osteoarthritis are replaced with prostheses (implants). It’s necessary for people who experience constant hip pain, and they had been diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis, medical images show the lack of joint space, and none of the non-invasive methods could help. The surgery takes about one and a half hours, and the physiotherapy should start about 24 hours post the surgery.

After a successful operation and proper physiotherapy, patients with hip replacement are able to get back to daily activities, low impact sports such as biking, walking, swimming, golf etc. Most importantly, this surgery helps patients to get back to their painless and active life.

However, to really benefit from the total hip replacement procedure, you would need to follow your physiotherapy protocol, and follow the consultants’ and surgeons’ recommendations.

Since the pandemic impacted negatively on many orthopaedic patients, but also led to cancelled outpatient appointments, investigations and surgeries, visits with orthopaedic consultants were conducted on the phone, and hospitals were busy with Covid-19 patients, the waiting lists and backlogs grew enormously. Waiting times differ from clinic to clinic, however, it may get over to several years. We know people, whose hip replacement surgeries were cancelled already 3 times, and the new dates are given somewhere in the unknown future. Since the waiting lists for hip replacement surgery in Ireland are long, the alternative is to go privately. What is a hip replacement cost in Ireland?

What does the private hip replacement cost in Ireland? What is the price for total hip replacement surgery in a private clinic in Ireland?

Many clinics do not show the price on their web pages, so you would need to go through the qualification process, and sometimes pay for the consultant’s visit privately, to receive a figure. Then some unpleasant surprises may occur – the price was just for the procedure, and there is a hospital’s fee and implant price on top. And.. you are discharged on the second day following the surgery, with recommendations on how to self-manage the postoperative pain, and a leaflet with exercises to do at home. That does not sound like a perfect recipe for a quick and efficient recovery.

From the information we have gathered, the approximate cost of the hip replacement surgery in Ireland with hospital fees + ceramic hip implant and 2 days in the hospital is around 14,000 Euro. And since the proper physiotherapy is 50% of success, on top of that you would need to add private sessions with a rehabilitator. That’s a lot, and unfortunately, a lot of people simply could not afford it. The cost of a private hip replacement in Ireland is high – what are my options?

Going for a hip replacement abroad – Can I get reimbursement for a private hip replacement surgery in Poland?

However, there is an alternative. As a citizen of Ireland, a member of the European Union, you are entitled to a reimbursed treatment in a private hospital abroad (in the EU).
Most probably your GP never mentioned it, and we suspect that he or she doesn’t even know about this option. Our patients who received full reimbursement from the HSE have often researched this possibility by themselves, or a friend or family member who has already gone through it before gave advice.

What is more, since the HSE reimbursement rate for a Hip Replacement is up to €10,967, and the surgery price already with the diagnostics package, 14 days stay in the hospital, daily physiotherapy, care and full board in Poland are approximate 8500-9500 EURO, the only cost that you need to cover out of your pocket is the flight ticket.

The downside is that under the EU scheme, you would need to pay this amount upfront in the private hospital abroad, and you will be reimbursed by the HSE after submitting the whole relevant paperwork (hospital discharge, invoice and additional forms).

How to get a cost refund for a private hip replacement surgery abroad (when I am from Ireland)?

How to get a cost reimbursement for a hip replacement abroad when living in Ireland? There are some steps you would need to follow, this included submitting a form, asking your GP for a referral and arranging your treatment with a Polish surgeon. We help with the form and arrange everything from the logistics side, so after getting out of the plane in Poland there is nothing you should worry about.

You may think that a two-week stay is quite long, but when speaking with our Patients, they highly stress the importance of a prolonged stay under a medical care, hospital pain management, daily sessions with an experienced physiotherapist, and the comfort of recovering in a place, where you have a someone to change your dressing, help you get out of the bed, check on your hip. In the hospital you have a special bed with automatic position adjustment, you stay until the moment of stitches removal, and the bathroom is adjusted to the needs of people post the hip replacement surgery.

If you have questions about the possibility of undergoing the EU Directive Scheme and applying for a hip replacement surgery reimbursement for treatment in a private hospital in Poland, please do not hesitate to contact us directly: