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Cost of elbow arthroscopy near me

The average cash price for elbow arthroscopy care near you is $5,258 at a surgery center versus $9,231 at an outpatient hospital. While a surgery center may offer fewer complimentary services, and may not have the full range of support services that outpatient hospital provides, it may still be worth the (43%) you'd save when comparing the cost of elbow arthroscopy performed at an outpatient hospital. Read More

Average cash price in U.S.

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   $5,258.30

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   $9,231.30

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.

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

The site is not a substitute for medical or healthcare advice and does not serve as a recommendation for a particular provider or type of medical or healthcare.