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Cost of ankle fusion surgery in Utah

The average cash price for ankle fusion surgery care in Utah is $16,802 at a surgery center versus $21,306 at an outpatient hospital. While an outpatient hospital may offer more complimentary and support services for patients, you will save (21%) by taking care of your ankle fusion surgery at a surgery center. Read More

Average cash price in Utah

A common ankle fusion surgery at surgery center facility in Utah includes

  Units Avg Cash price

Provider

Outpatient hospital fee for observation & care services

Standard Standard
1 $2,876

Orthopedic surgeon visit provider fee

First time visit Standard
1 $138

Provider fee to fuse ankle joint

simple Standard
1 $1,390

Facility

Surgery center fee to fuse ankle joint

Standard Standard
1 $11,025

Imaging

Radiology fee for MRI of hip, knee, or ankle joint

Standard Standard
1 $334

Radiology fee for ankle x-ray

2 views Standard
1 $47

Prescriptions

HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN

Standard Standard
30 $17

Anesthesia

Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure

Level 2 Standard
1 $140

Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure

Per minute Standard
400 $835
Total average cash price   $16,801.88

A common ankle fusion surgery at outpatient hospital facility in Utah includes

  Units Avg Cash price

Provider

Outpatient hospital fee for observation & care services

Standard Standard
1 $2,876

Orthopedic surgeon visit provider fee

First time visit Standard
1 $138

Provider fee to fuse ankle joint

simple Standard
1 $1,390

Facility

Outpatient Hospital fee to fuse ankle joint

level 5 Standard
1 $15,529

Imaging

Radiology fee for MRI of hip, knee, or ankle joint

Standard Standard
1 $334

Radiology fee for ankle x-ray

2 views Standard
1 $47

Prescriptions

HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN

Standard Standard
30 $17

Anesthesia

Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure

Level 2 Standard
1 $140

Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure

Per minute Standard
400 $835
Total average cash price   $21,306.31

Ankle fusion surgery is also known as “ankle arthrodesis.” This is the medical term for locking a joint in place by anchoring the bones on both sides of the joint together. Orthopedic surgeons perform ankle fusions for conditions that make it difficult to walk because of pain in the ankle or loss of function of the ankle. 

Several conditions can cause severe pain in the ankle and lead to disability due to the severity of pain alone. Ankle fusion surgery can eliminate this pain. The most common painful conditions treated with ankle fusion surgery are:

  • Severe rheumatoid or osteoarthritis
  • Repeated severe ankle sprains
  • Severe trauma

Other conditions may not be painful but may make it difficult to walk. The most common conditions that lead to difficulty walking and can be treated with ankle fusion surgery are:

  • Congenital abnormalities of the ankle
  • Foot drop

Ankle fusion surgery can be significantly painful in the first few days following surgery. Therefore, your surgeon may keep you in the hospital for the first few days following surgery to ensure that your pain is under control. After this stay in the hospital, you will be discharged home on oral medication to help control pain. 

After the first few weeks, your pain will significantly decrease. Attending physical therapy and your follow-up visits with your surgeon is critical to ensuring that your pain is under control.
 

Recovery from ankle fusion surgery takes several weeks. You will need to wear a splint to protect the ankle for three to four weeks and use crutches for up to two months. You will also require physical therapy and several follow-up visits with your surgeon to monitor your recovery. Ankle fusion surgery takes longer to recover from than more common surgeries because your foot needs to be elevated, and you cannot bear weight for a short time after the surgery.

You will be able to walk normally after you recover from your ankle fusion. The significant decrease in pain will often lead to a dramatic improvement in your ability to walk compared to before the surgery. 

Ankle fusion surgery decreases the ability of your foot to move up and down. The medical term for these movements is “plantarflexion” and “dorsiflexion.” This reduced movement can make walking up steep inclines and running more difficult. However, these limitations generally do not bother patients as they typically could not do these activities before ankle fusion surgery.

You will have no problem driving after ankle fusion surgery. For the first few weeks, driving may be difficult due to your ankle brace and pain. After you have healed from your ankle fusion, there will be no limitations to your ability to drive. 

If you drive a commercial vehicle such as a semi-truck, construction equipment, or bus, you will need a complete physical before returning to work. Typically, you will not be allowed to drive until you are fully recovered, but you should have no limitations after recovery.

Immediately after the surgery, your shoe choice will be limited. You will be in a large walking boot the first several days after the surgery. After the swelling and pain from the surgery decreases, you will be in a brace that can be worn with loose boots or sneakers for several weeks.

What shoes you can wear after recovering from your ankle fusion depends on your specific case. Boots, sandals, sneakers, and dress shoes, and pumps are almost always comfortable to wear. High heels are challenging to wear due to the reduced range of motion of the ankle after surgery.

About the ankle fusion surgery 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.