Bilateral Knee Replacement Surgery in Singapore

Knee replacement in Singapore is offered across different hospitals in the country. Orthopedics, as a specialty, is practiced by a number of doctors in the country.

Singapore, as a country, is known for it world-class medical facilities, quick processing of medical cases, no waiting time, and the presence of some of the best hospitals and experienced surgeons. This is the reason why many people from different parts of the world prefer to travel to Singapore for medical treatment despite the fact that the overall cost of healthcare in Singapore is pretty expensive as compared to other top medical tourism destinations.

Some of the major reasons why one should go for knee surgery in Singapore include the following:

• State-of-the-art hospitals for knee replacement in Singapore

• Availability of hi-tech machinery and robotic technology

• Trained, highly experienced, and top knee surgeons in Singapore

• Next to a negligible failure rate

• Professional attitude of the hospital staff

• Highest quality of medical care and treatment

Knee surgery in Singapore is a popular and most commonly conducted the orthopedic procedure. Some of the best knee specialists in Singapore practice across different hospitals. Some of them also own a private clinic.

The best thing about undergoing knee replacement in Singapore is that there is no waiting time. A patient from abroad can directly fly to the country, see the doctor, undergo investigations, and the surgery can be planned on the very next day. Within a week or so of the surgery, a majority of orthopedic surgery patients in Singapore are able to fly to their own country.

Additionally, state-of-the-art and most advanced rehabilitative services are available to speed up the recovery of patients who undergo knee surgery in Singapore.

The following are some of the best hospitals for knee replacement surgery in Singapore that are globally renowned for its quality of care and other facilities:

• Gleneagles Parkway Hospital

• Mount Elizabeth Hospital

• Thompson Medical

• Raffles Medical

• Parkway East Hospital

• Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital

Some of the best knee specialists in Singapore are trained and educated from premier medical institutions within the country and abroad. They attend multiple seminars and conferences around the world every year to keep themselves abreast with the recent developments in the field of knee and joint replacement.

Some of the best knee doctors in Singapore include the following:

• Dr. Su Hsien Ching David, Mount Elizabeth Hospital

• Dr. Lye Kevin Lee, Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital

• Dr. Ambrose Yung, Gleneagles Parkway Hospital

The cost of medical care in Singapore is expensive and is comparatively near to how much it costs in the Western countries such as the UK and the US. However, the quality of healthcare in Singapore is unmatched and is globally renowned.

Knee replacement surgery cost in Singapore starts at around $25000. However, the actual knee replacement surgery cost may depend on several factors, including the following:

• The type of hospital opted for

• The fees of the surgeon

• The type of the implant used

• Quality of implant used

• Any complications involved

• Overall health status of the patient

• Experience of the surgeon

The success rate of knee replacement in Singapore continues to remain unmatched and one of the best in the world. This is because of the next to zero hospital-acquired infection rates, high levels of hygiene, trained and educated nursing staff, great experience of the doctors, and a number of other factors.

Due to the extreme proficiency of the surgeons and medical facilities, the success rate of knee replacement surgery in Singapore is approximately 90% in total replacement. The longevity of the procedure extends for more than 15 years and even surpasses 20 years in 85% of the cases. On the contrary, 85% to 90% of partial knee replacement surgeries are successful which provide longevity of around 10 years. 

The knee replacement surgery success rate in Singapore is well above 95 percent. The high success rates can also be attributed to the availability of the latest technology used for knee replacement. For example, robotic surgery for knee replacement is also available in Singapore and is associated with high success rates.

However, whether or not a knee replacement surgery will be successful or not depends on a number of factors, including the following:

• The overall health of the patient

• Pre-existing conditions

• How well the patient follows the instructions of the doctor

• Level of physical rehabilitation

• The overall lifestyle of the patient after the surgery

The type of knee replacement an individual needs depends on the severity of the condition he/she has been suffering from. However, one must understand that the surgery is only performed in case the other treatments stop being effective. Hence, the popular knee replacement surgery in Singapore are:

• Partial knee replacement 

Partial replacement is preferred more commonly to patients who do not show symptoms of severe damage. In most cases, surgeons only treat the affected region. This means the sufferer may be subjected to a small incision only to cure the damaged region. In this case, two of the four ligaments, i.e., anterior cruciate ligament and posterior cruciate ligament, stays intact. However, the longevity of the procedure is comparatively lesser than the total replacement.

• Total knee replacement 

Performed by top knee replacement surgeons, total knee replacement means the complete removal of the knee joint. In this case, the surgeon might have to remove the Medial Collateral Ligament and the Lateral Collateral Ligament along with the Anterior and Posterior Cruciate. The procedure, however, helps in curing the patient completely of any pain and has substantial longevity.

The pre-surgical measures taken in knee replacement surgery is similar to the general operations. However, the main process of knee replacement surgery involves:

• Making an incision on or near to the damaged or injured a part of the knee

• Removal of the damaged parts and resurfacing of the joint with the help of prosthesis. The prosthesis used is made up of metals and plastics. 

• There are two distinguished types used in the surgery: cemented prosthesis, which uses surgical cement to bind the bone and uncemented prosthesis, which gets attached to the porous surfaces of the bone. Sometimes, both the prosthesis are used in the surgery.

• Hence, the incision is sealed with stitches. One might also use surgical staplers for the same.

Irrespective of the country or place chosen, the top knee replacement surgeons will primarily decide whether you are an eligible candidate for the procedure or not. This is to minimize any risk of complication and ensure 100% success of the surgical procedure. Thus, here are some of the key determining factors for the best candidate for knee replacement surgery.

• The candidate must not be overweight, else, the knee prosthesis might not be able to support the body weight.

• Any kind of knee pain or ‘trouble’ should be related to the knee joint.

• The candidate must not suffer from long-term conditions or any blood-related disorders.

• The surgeons should be informed about any prior history of severe illness.

The post-surgery recovery time depends on the type of knee replacement performed. In partial replacement, the candidate is monitored for one to two days in the hospital and is prescribed two to three weeks of physiotherapy. On the contrary, the recovery period after total knee replacement spans around five observatory days and four to six weeks of physiotherapy.

Singapore is one of the primary countries to make robotic surgeries available. The use of such advanced cutting-edge technology is responsible for providing precise treatment with greater success rates.