Elbow Replacement Cost

Typical costs:

• Without health insurance, an elbow replacement surgery typically costs a total of $35,000 to $40,000 or more. The hospital fee generally would be $30,000 to $35,000 or more, and a surgeon's fee would range from $2,000 to $4,000 or more, according to the office off one orthopedic surgeon who performs elbow replacements; a U.S. Department of Health & Human Services^[1] transparency initiative shows that surgeon fees for joint replacements can reach $5,000.
• An elbow replacement typically would be covered by health insurance if medically necessary.
• With health insurance, typical expenses could include doctor visit copays, drug copays and coinsurance for the surgery. This could total thousands of dollars or the yearly out-of-pocket maximum.

• In a total elbow replacement, the patient generally will be put under general anesthesia or regional anesthesia plus a relaxant. Then the surgeon will make an incision and remove the elbow joint and drill holes into the arm bones, then put the artificial joint in place using bone cement. A hospital stay of up to four days will be necessary. It can take 12 weeks or longer to regain use of the elbow and a year to fully recover.
• The National Institutes of Health^[2] has a primer on elbow replacement surgery.

• Several sessions of physical therapy might be required at $50 to $75 per hour.

• Some orthopedic specialists and hospitals offer discounts for uninsured/cash-paying patients. For example, Southern California Orthopedic Institute offers discounted services for cash-paying patients, and Northwest Community Hospital Orthopedic Services Center^[3] , in Chicago, offers discounts for prompt payment.

• Look for a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who has extensive experience with total elbow replacements. The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery^[4] offers an orthopedic surgeon finder by city, state or zip code.
• Elbow replacement is a technically difficult surgery and not that many are done each year in the United States, so it is especially important to look for an experienced surgeon at a center that performs at least several elbow replacements per year, according to the University of Washington Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.
• Risks of elbow replacement include reaction to anesthesia, blood clots, infection, allergic reaction to the implanted hardware and loosening of the artificial joint.

1.  www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Research/HealthCareConInit/index....
2.  www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007258.htm
3.  www.nch.org/medical-services/orthopedic-services/index.php
4.  www.abos.org/find-a-certified-orthopaedic-surgeon.aspx

Check Out All Costs for Health & Personal Care		How Much Do Crutches Cost?		How Much Do Eyeglasses Cost?		How Much Do Botox Treatments Cost?

Today's Featured Cost Articles

The hot summer weather has started. How much does central air conditioning cost? We give our advice on where to buy Purell and hand sanitizers. Looking for an indoor pet? Usage of streaming services is skyrocketing. We list the current deals. Staying cool during the summer also means on the road. We cover the cost of car air conditioning.

About CostHelper

CostHelper is based in Silicon Valley and provides consumers with unbiased price information about thousands of goods and services. Our writers are experienced journalists who adhere to our strict editorial ethics policy.

CostHelper Community

Replace Toilet Wax Ring (DIY) Paid: 25.00 Cost could have been cheaper, but previous owners hired a plumber and contractor who didn't do the job right. So we ran into problems. The first wax ring didn't work, so we had to buy the old fashioned type... [more] -JT Holm Toilet Repair Cost Plumbing totourial Paid: 0.00 I am appalled by some of these charges myself and yes plumbers have a hard,disgusting and exhausting job and it’s not for everyone... [more] -Caleb Domec Plumber Cost Ischemic stroke Paid: 89000.00 I had a CT scan, they called helicopter to transfer to trauma hospital in Atlanta, but neurosurgeon there said the stroke is is I n a deep area, and would be too dangerously to remove the clot surgically... [more] -Marie-Jose Stroke Treatment Cost Connective tissue graft Paid: 1300.00 Had to get a connective tissue graft for three of my teeth on my lower left and likely will need a few more done down the road (genetics). The procedure took about an hour and was pain-free... [more] - Gum Tissue Graft Cost Alaska propane pricing 2020 Paid: 130.71 No contract price is $3.87 x 32.8 gallons + $3.81 fee = delivered remote Cooper Landing Alaska. New contract renewal $1.91/gallon for delivery plus propane cost which I need to check on... [more] -Keith Mantey Propane Cost Funeral Paid: 160.00 Can somebody contact me... [more] -Terrance Samuel Releasing Doves Cost