Globe Health Tours

article from the DailyIndia.com

Arthritis is a debilitating disease that causes severe physical pain and emotional turmoil for millions of people who suffer with it. Many do nothing about it, simply because they feel the cost of joint replacement surgery is too high. Prices for corrective joint surgery, however has fallen dramatically in price making them more affordable than ever and surgery is available at a cost of around 70% less than surgery in the US and Europe, in India.

Joint replacement is now affordable at up to 75% less than in the US or UK! A hip or knee replacement for example, would cost around 20,000 dollars in the US, but in India costs just $4,500 - 6500. While the cost may be competitive there is no difference in the quality of treatment. Many patients from Europe and the US are now traveling to India to have joint replacement surgery done, are saving enough money to enjoy a holiday of a lifetime and still have money left over!

What is arthritis?

There are over 100 different kinds of arthritis, all of which affect one or several joints in the body. The word arthritis comes from the Greek words, arth meaning "joint" and "inflammation". Arthritis effectively means "inflammation of a joint", which is
not strictly true of the condition as in many kinds of arthritis the
joint is not actually inflamed or swollen, but the pain is still there.

The affects of arthritis can be devastating:
70% of patients with Arthritis show evidence of radiographic changes within only 3 years. 50% of patients with arthritis are disabled and unable to work within 10 years.
In the long term, the major consequences of Arthritis include:
Joint deformity, joint misalignment, disability, emotional trauma and even premature death.

The onset of cheap mass travel has opened up India to many
patients who can now travel to have their surgery done at competitive
cost. Traveling to another country for treatment is referred to as medical tourism. This is now a multi billion pound industry worldwide and India
is the world leader in medical tourism and 150,000 medical tourists
traveled to India in 2005 alone.

Here's why:

Cost of Treatment

With costs far lower than in Europe and the US for operations
such as joint replacement, India is of interest to anyone wanting this
surgery.

Cost however is not the only consideration; patients want quality care and treatment.

Quality of facilities

The quality of Indian private hospitals is on par with any in the world, as are success rates for operations.

Quality of medical experience

Indian medical doctors and nurses are known worldwide for their
expertise and professionalism, giving medical tourism in India
credibility among overseas patients.

Quick Access to surgery

One of the huge advantages of medical tourism is the quick
access to surgery and cutting out the emotional stress of long waiting
lists.

Holiday options

A byproduct, but one that is appealing, is to relax after
surgery in one of the largest, most beautiful and diverse countries in
the world.

When you look at the facts:

Low cost, quality facilities, expert care and the opportunity to
see a different country, it is no wonder more people are considering
joint replacement in India and a wide array of other treatments.

Medical tourism is growing in popularity and if you suffer
from arthritis and need joint replacement therapy, you should consider
what India has to offer.