Skip to Main Content

Cost of arthroscopic bicep repair

The average cash price for arthroscopic bicep repair care is $5,923 at a surgery center versus $9,896 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 (40%) you'd save when comparing the cost of arthroscopic bicep repair performed at an outpatient hospital. Read More

Average cash price in U.S.

A common arthroscopic bicep repair 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 release shoulder biceps tendon using endoscope

Standard Standard
1 $1,197

Facility

Surgery center fee to release shoulder biceps tendon using endoscope

Standard Standard
1 $3,505

Imaging

Radiology fee for wrist or elbow MRI

Standard Standard
1 $321

Radiology fee for shoulder x-ray

2+ views Standard
1 $46

Prescriptions

HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN

Standard Standard
30 $16

Anesthesia

Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure

Level 3 Standard
1 $202

Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure

Per minute Standard
252 $504
Total average cash price   $5,922.50

A common arthroscopic bicep repair 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 release shoulder biceps tendon using endoscope

Standard Standard
1 $1,197

Facility

Outpatient Hospital fee to release shoulder biceps tendon using endoscope

level 4 Standard
1 $7,478

Imaging

Radiology fee for wrist or elbow MRI

Standard Standard
1 $321

Radiology fee for shoulder x-ray

2+ views Standard
1 $46

Prescriptions

HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN

Standard Standard
30 $16

Anesthesia

Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure

Level 3 Standard
1 $202

Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure

Per minute Standard
252 $504
Total average cash price   $9,895.50

Arthroscopic bicep repair is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to repair tears in your bicep muscle. Instead of cutting your skin open to see where your bicep attaches to your shoulder, the surgeon makes a couple of small incisions and inserts narrow tubes with a fiber-optic camera and pencil-thin surgical instruments into your shoulder. 

Arthroscopic bicep repair, also called bicep tenodesis, is used to repair damage to the bicep muscle that runs from your shoulder to your elbow. Sports injuries and physical labor can cause a sudden tear in your bicep that needs to be surgically repaired to regain full strength. Older individuals with chronic inflammation may need bicep tenodesis when a bicep injury develops over time from repetitive motions of daily living.

A torn bicep muscle or tendon is a very painful injury. Bicep tendon surgery can help reduce this pain. Bicep tenodesis is a minor surgical procedure that is done under general anesthesia. This means you will be unconscious while the surgeon repairs your muscle and will not feel any pain. After the procedure, you may have some discomfort around the small cuts made for the procedure.

Bicep tenodesis isn’t needed to repair all bicep tears. Small tears can be healed with rest, icing, and physical therapy. Corticosteroid injections are also a treatment option for some patients. 
If your pain doesn’t improve with other treatments or you need to regain your bicep strength completely, then bicep tenodesis is necessary to heal your muscle and improve your symptoms. This procedure is often covered by medical insurance.

Healing from bicep tenodesis is a long process. Before your procedure, you can check the typical cost of bicep tenodesis in your area. After your arthroscopic surgery, you will likely need to stay in the hospital for a day. The anesthesiologist may have placed a numbing nerve block to reduce your pain after the operation. This can be removed after 12-18 hours. You can visit a physical therapist to learn exercises to improve your strength and mobility before leaving the hospital.

Your arm needs to be supported by a sling for 4-6 weeks. You should work with a physical therapist to improve passive and active range of motion. Once the tendon has healed enough, the sling can be removed, and you can work on building strength in your arm. Full recovery of strength may take up to a year, but many patients are mostly recovered from the surgery after 4-6 months.

Bicep tendon surgery has a high success rate. Nearly all patients experience less pain and more strength after the procedure. Small studies of arthroscopic tenodesis patients show that 90% of patients have an excellent recovery with minimal differences between arms. A small number of patients may rupture their bicep tendon again after the procedure.

After bicep tenodesis, you should restrict several activities to help speed the recovery of your arm. You cannot shower or bathe for a few days after your surgery to help your incision wounds heal. You cannot drive until 3-4 weeks after your bicep tenodesis. To prevent new tears in your muscle, you should not lift anything with your arm that is heavier than a coffee cup for at least six weeks.

About the arthroscopic bicep repair 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.