ACL surgery helps to restore the function and stability of the knee. It helps patients to get back to their normal lives or they can return to their sports. It is a very popular surgery among highly intense sports athletes. Saudi Arabia is transforming toward very advanced technologies such as telemedicine, AI, and many others by the year 2030. In this blog, we are going to discuss the ACL surgery cost in Saudi Arabia, including numerous factors such as cost comparison, average cost, cost-influencing factors, and many more.
What is ACL Surgery?
ACL surgery is a surgical process to reconstruct or repair the torn ACL. It helps to reduce pain, maximize stability, and range of motion, etc. Orthopedic surgeons create the graft to replace the torn ACL. Graft is made up of muscle obtained from hamstring, quadriceps, or patellar tendons. This muscle used to create a graft could be the patient’s own (autograft), or it could be donated by a living or deceased donor (allograft).
ACL Surgery Cost in Saudi Arabia
ACL surgery cost in Saudi Arabia is around 17,000 to 57,000 SAR ($4,500 to $15,000). The cost of surgery depends on various factors that can create a difference in the total cost. Hospital type, location, surgeon, complications, and other are the cost-determining factors.
Breakdown Cost of ACL Surgery in Saudi Arabia
The breakdown cost of ACL surgery in Saudi Arabia is as follows:
| Procedure | Cost (SAR) | Cost (USD) |
| Diagnostics | 1,000 – 8,500 | 260 – 2,200 |
| Surgical Fee | 8,000 – 18,000 | 2,100 – 4,800 |
| Implants & Consumables | 5,000 – 15,000 | 1,300 – 4,000 |
| Hospital | 1,500 – 7,500 | 400 – 2,000 |
| Rehabilitation | 2,000 – 8,000 | 530 – 2,100 |
Factors Affecting ACL Surgery Cost in Saudi Arabia
Various factors can affect the total cost of ACL surgery in Saudi Arabia, some of them are as follows:
- Hospitals: Hospitals with advance equiments and specialized care charge more for their facilities.
- Location: Modern and advanced cities have a higher cost due to the cost of living and average income of the city.
- Surgeons: Surgeons with more skills and experience charge more for the same expertise in the treatment.
- Recovery: Recovery period can be different for every patient, and it adds a large portion of cost to the ACL surgery cost.
- Graft: Graft technique used in the surgery matters due to the higher cost of allograft, which has less healing wound, recovers faster, and less incision.
- Medications: Medication throughout the treatment can be different for every individual patient and accounts for a large portion to whole cost.
Cost Comparison of ACL Surgery in Different Countries
The cost comparison of ACL surgery among the different countries is as follows:
| Country | Cost in their Currency | Cost in USD |
| India | 3,00,000 – 4,00,000 INR | 3,500 – 4,000 |
| Saudi Arabia | 17,000 – 57,000 SAR | 4,500 – 15,000 |
| Nigeria | 700,000 – 3,400,000 NGN | 500 – 2,400 |
| Malaysia | 15,000 – 35,000 RM | 300 – 8,000 |
| Iran | 33,700,000 – 168,500,000 IRR | 800 – 4,000 |
| Bangladesh | 1,00,000 – 2,00,000 BDT | 800 – 1,600 |
| Turkey | 1,20,000 – 3,00,000 TRY | 3,000 – 7,000 |
| Oman | 750 – 2,000 OMR | 2,000 – 5,000 |
| Bahrain | 750 – 2,000 BHD | 2,000 – 5,000 |
| Thailand | 1,90,000-3,50,000 THB | 5,500-10,000 |
| Ethiopia | 7,00,000-11,00,000 ETB | 5,000-7,000 |
| Pakistan | 3,00,000-7,00,000 PKR | 1,100-2,500 |
Why Choose Saudi Arabia for ACL Surgery?
Saudi Arabia’s healthcare systems offer both private and government hospital options. Ministry of Health (MOH) is providing the free treatment option. Employees in Saudi has provided insurance through their work companies. They provides healthpackages for international patients and have international level accreditation from JCI. Specialized treatment, including orthopedic, transplants, and others are highly focused by the healthcare systems. They also offer advanced healthcare, skilled surgeons, and effective cost with the international level treatments.
Hospital Packages for ACL Surgery in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia offers hospital packages for ACL Surgery which are mentioned below:
- Hai Al Jamea Hospital: They offer ACL surgery with starting package of 30,000 SAR ($8,000) with very good treatment and after support system.
- Saudi German Hospital: They offer package starting from 14,000 SAR ($3,700). In this package provides basic treatment and post surgery rehabilitation.
Recovery Timeline Getting After ACL Surgery
Recovery after the surgery is very important because it decreases the chances of getting the same injury. In recovery phase, proper rehabilitation programs, follow-up checkups, and medications are must to recover faster. The basic overview of the recovery timeline is mentioned below:
- First Phase: 0-2 Months After the Surgery: After the surgery, the patient is transferred to Intesive care unit to observe health. Patient will be discharged after some time. In home, patients have to follow medications to reduce the chances of rejecting the graft, rehabilitation to regain knee movement and strength.
- Second Phase: 2-4 Months After the Surgery: Advanced rehabilitation will be started at that moment. Patient is performing exercises to improve knee stability, strength, and mobility with the help of physiotherapist. Previous exercises will go to the next level, which increases the difficulty of doing that exercise.
- Third Phase: 4-6 Months After the Surgery: In this phase, patients are preparing to go out for activities and sports. Rehabilitation program is really working, and significant results has shown throughout the journey. Avoid overdoing any activities due to excitement.
- Final Phase: 6-12 Months After the Surgery: After 6 months, the patient can go back to work, normal activity, and sports activity. Rehabilitation has helped you a lot during the recovery. The patient is now fully recovered.
Best Hospitals in Saudi Arabia for ACL Surgery
The best hospitals in Saudi Arabia for ACL Surgery are as follows:
- The King Faisal Hospital: They have specialized surgical treatments, including orthopedic surgery.
- Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital: This hospital offers Acl surgery programs with personalized health care.
- Saudi German Hospital Group: They offer programs like Tas’heel, with facilities in numerous cities in Saudi Arabia. .
- NMC Hospitals: They have specific orthopedic and sports medicine services. Which is very beneficial for sports athletes and complex sports injuries.
- Hai Al Jamea Hospital: They offer ACL surgery at a very affordable cost with quality care and good orthopedic surgery.
Best Orthopedic Surgeons in Saudi Arabia
The Best Orthopedic surgeons in Saudi Arabia for ACL Surgery are as follows:
- Dr. Ibrahim Al Qasabi: Associate consultant at NERA Specialized Center with 10+ years of experience in the medical healthcare.
- Dr. Wael Saeed Altaher: He is Orhtopedic surgery specialist and he works at Medical Group Clinics. Patients can consult him for 100 SAR.
- Dr. Muhammad Usman Ulhaq: He is Orthopedic specialist. He can speak multiple languages such as Hindi, English, Arabic, and Punjabi.
- Dr. Wael Al Ghandour: He is Orthopedic surgery specialist. He also work at Asdaa Al-Saha Medical Complex in Saudi Arabia
Conclusion
Saudi Arabia is an Islamic country where medical tourism is developing with the support of the Ministry of Health. They offer numerous facilities to national and international patients. They have advanced healthcare programs, virtual consultations, and many treatment options. All these things make Saudi Arabia a good place to visit for medical tourism with an advanced medical healthcare system, infrastructure, and personalized care.