A common elbow arthroscopy at surgery center facility in U.S. includes
| |
Units |
Avg Cash price |
Provider |
Orthopedic surgeon visit provider fee
First time visit
Standard
|
1 |
$132 |
Provider fee to remove arm joint lining using endoscope
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$717 |
Facility |
Surgery center fee to remove arm joint lining using endoscope
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$3,505 |
Imaging |
Radiology fee for wrist or elbow MRI
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$321 |
Radiology fee for elbow x-ray
2 views
Standard
|
1 |
$41 |
Prescriptions |
HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN
Standard
Standard
|
30 |
$16 |
Anesthesia |
Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure
Level 2
Standard
|
1 |
$134 |
Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure
Per minute
Standard
|
196 |
$392 |
Total average cash price |
|
A common elbow arthroscopy at outpatient hospital facility in U.S. includes
| |
Units |
Avg Cash price |
Provider |
Orthopedic surgeon visit provider fee
First time visit
Standard
|
1 |
$132 |
Provider fee to remove arm joint lining using endoscope
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$717 |
Facility |
Outpatient Hospital fee to remove arm joint lining using endoscope
level 4
Standard
|
1 |
$7,478 |
Imaging |
Radiology fee for wrist or elbow MRI
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$321 |
Radiology fee for elbow x-ray
2 views
Standard
|
1 |
$41 |
Prescriptions |
HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN
Standard
Standard
|
30 |
$16 |
Anesthesia |
Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure
Level 2
Standard
|
1 |
$134 |
Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure
Per minute
Standard
|
196 |
$392 |
Total average cash price |
|
Elbow arthroscopy is a procedure that uses a tiny camera that is inserted through small incisions to look inside the elbow to treat an injured or diseased joint. The word arthroscopy comes from two Greek words "arthro" (joint) and "skopein" (to look). The terms together mean "to look within the joint,” and that is exactly what is being done. In contrast to traditional surgery that uses large incisions to open the joint, there is no injury to surrounding soft tissues and the technique allows the surgeon to view the elbow joint from multiple angles allowing for a more thorough evaluation.
Most chronic elbow conditions don’t need arthroscopic elbow surgery, but some conditions that continue to cause pain or stiffness despite physiotherapy may require surgery. This may include the treatment of tennis elbow, the removal of loose bodies such as cartilage and bone fragments, the release of scar tissue to improve range of motion, the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, the treatment of fractures, the treatment of tennis elbow, and ulnar nerve decompression.
The pain that is experienced from elbow surgery depends on the type and extent of the surgery performed. Arthroscopic surgery is not new. In fact, it has been performed since the 1980s. Every year there are new instruments and new techniques that are developed. The instruments are thin, the camera is tiny, and the incisions are small. This results in less pain because there is less damage to the tissues, and it shortens the time to recovery so you can get back to the activities that you love.
Elbow arthroscopy is usually performed using general anesthesia, meaning you are put to sleep. Regional nerve block injections that numb just the elbow area are rarely used because they only last for a few hours after the procedure is completed and the surgeon needs to be able to complete a careful nerve examination in the recovery room. Without anesthesia, the nerve examination can be very painful. A regional anesthetic may be provided in the recovery room after the surgeon completes the nerve examination for further control pain.
Recovery from an elbow arthroscopy depends on the extent of the procedure that was performed. Although arthroscopy recovery is always faster than open surgery, it still may take a few weeks to a few months for the elbow joint to fully recover. You will be encouraged to move your fingers and wrist frequently to stimulate circulation and minimize swelling and the surgeon will most likely order physical therapy after your first postoperative visit. Physical therapy and your own effort in these exercises will play an important role in getting you back to your daily activities and will help you regain elbow and forearm motion and strength.
Because patients have varied elbow conditions, complete recovery time is different for everyone. If you have had a minor repair, you may not need a splint and your range of motion and function may return after a short period of rehabilitation. You may be able to hit the road within a few days of your procedure. It takes longer after more complicated procedures. You will need to follow the surgeon's guidelines.
About the elbow arthroscopy Average Cash Prices
This procedure is most commonly performed at either a surgery center or an outpatient hospital.
Surgery centers, also known as ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), are independent, licensed medical
facilities that are governed by distinct regulatory requirements compared with a hospital. Procedures
performed at an ASCs are often less expensive than when they are performed at an outpatient hospital,
but they typically offer fewer complimentary services, and may not have the full-range of support
services that a hospital provides.
Outpatient facilities are outpatient departments or clinics that may be within or next to a hospital,
but is owned and run by the affiliated hospital. These facilities can perform surgical treatments and
procedures that do not require an overnight stay. Procedures performed at an outpatient hospital are
often more expensive than when they are performed in an ambulatory surgery center, but outpatient
hospitals may offer more complimentary and support services for patients because they are connected to
the hospital system.
