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 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.

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!

Before we look at the standard of care in India for joint replacement surgery, let's look at the devastating affect arthritis can have:

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 consequences of arthritis

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.

India the leader in medical tourism

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 500,000 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.