| Service | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 🇹🇷 Turkey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hip replacement (one side) | from USD 872 (excluding implant) | from USD 8,000 | from USD 7,500 |
| Bilateral hip replacement | from USD 1,744 | from USD 11,000 | from USD 9,800 |
Prices in the “Ukraine” column come from MediUkraine’s partner clinics. The Czech Republic and Turkey columns show the lower bounds of prices published by clinics there (for Turkey, also the Turkish Dental Association’s recommended 2026 tariff), collected in August 2026 and converted to US dollars at the rate on the day of collection. A dash means we could not find a comparable published price. In any country, the final cost is set by the clinic after an examination.
In a healthy joint the head of the femur glides in the hip socket on a thin layer of cartilage. When this layer thins and disappears, bone starts rubbing against bone: the joint space narrows, bony spurs grow along the edges, and every step sends pain into the groin, buttock or knee. It is the depth of these changes on an X-ray, MRI or CT scan, not your age, that shows whether replacing only the femoral head is enough (partial replacement) or both surfaces of the joint need replacing (total replacement).
The second key feature of the method is how invasive the approach is. Minimally invasive techniques reduce blood loss, the risk of complications and the time spent in hospital, so you start active rehabilitation under a physiotherapist's supervision within a few days of surgery. For you this means a shorter path back to your normal routine, without years of painkillers and restricted movement.
Technically, the operation looks like this: the surgeon removes the destroyed parts of the joint, prepares the bone bed and fits an implant that reproduces the anatomy and the axis of movement of the leg. In most cases the operation is done under spinal or combined anaesthesia, and you start getting out of bed on day 1–2 afterwards.
Joint replacement gives results in hip osteoarthritis, avascular necrosis of the femoral head, rheumatoid arthritis and after femoral neck fractures. Your next step is simple: a recent X-ray of the hips and a consultation with an orthopaedic trauma surgeon. Without them, neither the type of prosthesis nor the method of fixation can be decided.
Travel. Ukrainian airspace is closed, so there are no commercial flights. Uzhhorod lies right on the border with Slovakia and close to Hungary, so patients usually arrive overland from one of these two countries, by car, bus or train.
Visas. Citizens of the EU, the United Kingdom and the United States do not need a visa for short stays in Ukraine. Rules depend on your citizenship, so check your own before booking.
Safety, plainly. Ukraine is at war. Air raid alerts occur across the country, including in Uzhhorod, and an appointment can be interrupted by one. Several governments advise against travel to Ukraine, and while that advice stands, ordinary travel and medical insurance is often void — confirm your cover with your insurer before you commit to anything.
Language. MediUkraine handles correspondence, scheduling, the written treatment plan and the quote in English. The clinic's team communicates with international patients in English.
Payment. You pay the clinic directly. Our coordination service is free of charge for you.
More on travel, safety and insurance: Safety and travel.
The technique is chosen individually, taking into account the degree of joint damage, your age, level of physical activity and coexisting conditions. There are two basic options: partial (hemiarthroplasty), when only the damaged part of the joint is replaced, and total, when both the femoral head and the hip socket are replaced.
In Ukraine total hip replacement is performed most often: the natural surfaces of the joint are replaced with biocompatible implants, made of metal, ceramic or a combination. The material of the bearing surfaces affects both the smoothness of your gait and the wear resistance of the construction, so it is chosen to suit your lifestyle. Under a rehabilitation specialist's supervision, the first steps are taken within a few days of surgery.
For some patients minimally invasive hip replacement is suitable: through a small incision, without extensive cutting of the muscles. This approach reduces blood loss and the risk of complications and speeds up recovery, so it is more often offered to active people who want to return to work and their usual activities sooner.
If the joint has been operated on before or was damaged by a complex fracture, revision hip replacement, that is, replacing the implant again, may be needed. This is a technically more complex operation with longer rehabilitation, but in most cases the problem can be solved in a single stage, with a predictable result.
In the first days moderate discomfort in the operated area and muscle tension are possible; this is an expected reaction of the tissues to surgery. You gradually return to activity, but during the first weeks it is important to avoid sudden movements and excessive loads. Walking on your own is done under the doctor's supervision, usually from the second day after surgery.
The pace of recovery depends on your age, the condition of your muscles and the type of prosthesis. If all goes smoothly, you walk with support after 1–2 weeks, and full recovery takes about 6–8 weeks. The orthopaedic surgeon decides at the follow-up check when you can stop using support and return to your usual activities.
Keep up moderate daily activity: short walks improve circulation and speed up healing. Exercise, swimming and gym training only after separate agreement with your doctor. In the first weeks drink enough water, eat a balanced diet, and avoid alcohol, smoking and hot baths.
A fever, increasing swelling or pain, or redness around the wound are reasons to contact the clinic immediately. Scheduled follow-up checks are arranged after discharge: at them the orthopaedic surgeon assesses the position of the implant on an X-ray and gradually increases the load you can put on the leg.
If you plan to return to work, travel or sport, what matters is not the joint replacement itself but how accurately the implant reproduces the biomechanics of walking and how long it lasts. Prosthetic systems made of ceramic, metal and polyethylene, when fitted correctly, give a natural gait and comfortable movement.
The type of prosthesis is chosen individually. Before surgery the orthopaedic surgeon orders an X-ray, CT or MRI of the joint and assesses bone density and muscle condition: this determines the method of fixation, cemented, cementless or hybrid. Active patients are more often given materials with higher wear resistance so the prosthesis lasts longer.
The decision to operate is not made on the basis of a single scan. The orthopaedic surgeon weighs how far you can walk without pain, whether you need support, and how the pain affects your sleep and work. It is a full examination and an assessment of the joint's function that show whether it is time to operate or whether conservative treatment still has something to offer.
When planning a hip replacement, count not only the cost of the operation itself but the whole package of expenses: accommodation, diagnostics, anaesthesia, medicines, rehabilitation and post-operative monitoring. In Ukraine this bill is lower also because the tests, the operation and the first stages of recovery take place at one centre, and the hospital stay lasts a few days.
There are several reasons. The underlying cost of medical services, such as rent, salaries and consumables, is lower here than in EU countries or Israel. Competition between private clinics makes them itemise the package, from the implant to the number of days in hospital. And minimally invasive techniques shorten the operation and the hospital stay, which directly reduces the final amount.
At the same time, a lower price does not mean lower safety standards: the partner clinic works according to international protocols and provides full anaesthetic care, infection control and professional nursing. The surgeons have experience of total and partial joint replacements, and recovery is led by a team of rehabilitation specialists.
The partner clinic in Uzhhorod works according to international standards of orthopaedics and traumatology: full anaesthetic care, infection control and round-the-clock post-operative monitoring. Joint replacements are performed routinely by experienced teams, with certified implants and minimally invasive approaches.
Ideally, tests, surgery and early rehabilitation take place in one place, without moving between facilities.
When choosing a clinic, look at the number of operations of this specific type performed, the experience of the particular orthopaedic surgeon and patient reviews. MediUkraine checks the doctor's qualifications and the clinic's reputation and prepares an estimate listing the items and the dates of follow-up checks; you are warned in advance about any change to any item.
📍 Uzhhorod, Ukraine
A multidisciplinary hospital in Uzhhorod, part of a network of medical facilities in western Ukraine: an outpatient clinic, a surgical centre covering 15 specialties and a 30-bed inpatient unit. Its 52 doctors include professors and PhDs; many operations are done as day surgery, with discharge after 1–2 days.
It is an operation in which the destroyed surfaces of the joint, the femoral head and the hip socket, are replaced with artificial components. The implant takes over the weight-bearing function, so the pain goes away and the range of movement in the hip is restored.
The cost depends on the type of implant, the method of fixation (cemented or cementless), the length of the hospital stay and what the clinic's package includes. The approximate range is from USD 872 (excluding implant), which is noticeably lower than in EU countries.
Citizens of most European countries, Israel and the USA do not need a visa. If you are from another country, check the entry requirements in advance.
Surgery is considered for hip osteoarthritis, avascular necrosis of the femoral head, injuries and congenital deformities of the joint. The orthopaedic surgeon makes the final assessment after an X-ray and MRI, which also indicate the type of prosthesis and the method of fixation.
Total or partial replacement is used, and the approach can be conventional or minimally invasive. Fixation is cemented, cementless or hybrid; the choice depends on bone density and the patient's age.
First steps are possible 1–2 days after surgery. Full recovery takes 6–8 weeks, including rehabilitation and therapeutic exercise; the orthopaedic surgeon adjusts the timeline at follow-up checks.
Yes, and mostly for the better: once the doctor allows it, patients return to travelling, swimming and moderate training. Modern prostheses can last more than 20 years and are designed for everyday loads.
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