How Much Does ACL Surgery Cost
Whether how physically fit you are or how proactive as an athlete you are, a pop on your ACL will surely make you weak. ACL or anterior cruciate ligament is one of the four major ligaments on the knee that connects femur and tibia. ACL makes your knee strong and firm through sophisticated pivoting, twisting, and turning.
Tearing of the ACL is one of the most common knee injuries. Studies show that women are more prone of this injury. If your ACL has popped out, surgical reconstruction is a crucial option. It is important to decipher the cost of ACL surgery to lay a financial groundwork in place.
ACL Reconstruction – Cause and Cost
Athletes that have their knees given out mostly desired to get their ACL get reconstructed to get back to the field. Athletes are the common target of ligament injury because of their overly engagement to physically outdriving sports and activities.
To calculate the average cost of the ACL reconstruction surgery, it is noteworthy that there are major painful factors that directly affect the price. We’ll be taking closer look on the accounts and breakdowns of the ACL surgery price.
Surgical ACL reconstruction is not always recommended as the ligament can come back into its daily range of motion after some time of therapeutic recovery. Physical therapy can take back the knee’s strength and may not require medical surgeries anymore. The clinical features of a torn ligament will show on the external part of the knee where swelling and redness appear. If the swelling has drastically tuned down, the success of ACL surgery inclines though it could be of your choice to have a surgery or continue your physical therapy until knee drivability is legitimate.
The ACL surgery price will vary accordingly to your region or state and to your chosen health facility. Health care premises founded on empire cities usually charge higher than other clinics in rural areas.
ACL reconstruction is done by board-certified orthopedic whether in hospitals or in outpatient clinics. General insurance providers such as Medicare, covers expenses for the surgery. Medicare Plan A and Plan B cover payments for the hospital admission and other doctor visit fees. Insurance companies help deduct the expenses big time. If insured, the total cost may be 40% to 60% less than the original invoice. Out-of-the-pocket expenses are mostly for the admission fee.
The cost of ACL surgery will go as high as $20,000 all the way up to $55,000 or higher. The estimation includes pre-assumed additional expenses and other consumables.
Digging Deeper on the Accounts
We couldn’t really get the average cost of ACL reconstruction surgery without putting on accounts the additional costs. Pre-surgery consultation is essential to get medical evaluation from the orthopedic to know the right medical treatment needed. Initial orthopedic consultation usually starts at a price of $100 to $500, in an average cost of $250. Some surgeons include the consultation fee to the total surgery cost if patient chose to move forward to the surgery.
The ACL reconstruction is done by taking patella tendon or hamstring on your own body and replacing it to the broken ligaments. This procedure has been medically proved to be effective and the most long-lasting treatment.
Anesthesia, if excluded on the bill, will cost $2000 to $5000 depending on the type of anesthetic medicine necessary for the orthopedic surgery. Bone surgeries will require the use of anesthesia to help patient get through the surgery as drilling may be part of the grafting procedure. The surgery will require new ligaments to serve as proxy to the torn ACL.
According to Calvin who had this ligament issue, he has paid approximately $68,000 for the ACL surgery price. This includes the doctor’s fee, facilities, drugs and other prescriptions, consumables, and state-of-the-are equipments used. Calvin also shared how his surgery went and other stuff you must have known about ACL surgery.
After the surgery, post surgical doctor visit will be conducted to monitor the physical improvement on the treated area. This may need more cash out in your pocket. Rehabilitation and physical therapy may seem necessary to get the knee’s range of motion back. Physical therapy price is generally in an hourly basis which cost $50 to $80 per hour. It may take up to 6 weeks to get the knee fully recovered.
Pain relievers and other medicine essential for fast recovery may be required only if prescribed by doctors. Filling the prescription may cost you up to $5000 depending on the kind of medicine, quantity, and duration of medication.
The Cost Is an Arm and Leg
The average cost of ACL reconstruction surgery is $35,000. If covered by insurance, the cost may play only from $800 to $3500. Copayments and other additional services acquired must be paid out-of-the-pocket. Doc Shop has posted the possible cost for orthopedic surgeries.
Remember that the cost of ACL surgery will always depend on your local health facilities and the services grabbed. Many have reported spending more than $50,000.
To avoid this costly surgery, it is best to practice safety on a daily basis. Sports are extremely outraging, especially for those who really have heartfelt passion on it. But our physical supremacy must not be over used to what it can only tolerate. Warm-ups and other exercises can help the body and the muscle to get prep on upcoming excessive movements. It has been also observed to minimize the risk of tearing your ACL.
