Joint Revision Surgery in Argentina: Cost, Recovery, and Travel

Joint revision surgery in Argentina replaces a failed knee or hip implant, and private care concentrates in Buenos Aires and Córdoba.

Uninsured US patients pay USD 40,000 to 80,000 or more for a knee revision. An Argentine surgeon prices each revision after reviewing your records and imaging. Travel suits patients whose implant failed mechanically.

Medical Tourism Packages (MTP) sends your first-surgery records to an Argentine revision surgeon and arranges the trip and recovery stay. We work with you in English and Spanish.

What Is Joint Revision Surgery, and Why Do US Patients Consider Argentina?

Revision surgery fits new parts to a failed knee or hip implant, and US patients choose Argentina for ranked hospitals and published revision work.

• Ranked hospitals: Newsweek’s 2026 Latin America rankings place 10 Argentine hospitals on the knee list and 8 on the hip list. All sit in greater Buenos Aires or Córdoba, and Argentina’s leaders hold positions 3 (knee) and 5 (hip) in the region.
• Certified orthopedists: certification by the national orthopedic association (AAOT) takes three years of required courses and a specialist exam.
• Published revision work: Argentine surgeons publish their revision and infection results in international and Argentine journals.
• Ties with US surgeons: ACARO, the Argentine hip and knee society, held its 2017 congress with the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS). AAHKS leaders also spoke at ACARO’s April 2024 congress.

Our guides to knee replacement in Argentina and hip replacement in Argentina cover a first replacement. For orthopedic care in general, see our guides to orthopedic surgery in Argentina and orthopedic surgery abroad.

How Much Does Revision Surgery Cost in Argentina Compared With the US?

Argentine surgeons price a revision case by case after reviewing your records and imaging, and no public price list exists. A knee revision costs uninsured US patients USD 40,000 to 80,000 or more in 2026. A hip revision costs USD 45,000 to 90,000 or more.

Procedure	Argentina	United States	What the US figure covers
Revision knee replacement	Personalized quote	USD 40,000 to 80,000+ uninsured (CoveredUSA, May 2026)	Implant and surgeon fee; other items not stated
Revision knee replacement, bundled cash price	Personalized quote	USD 22,700 to 42,100 (MDsave, read October 4, 2026)	Bundle from US providers; inclusions not listed
Revision hip replacement	Personalized quote	USD 45,000 to 90,000+ uninsured (CoveredUSA, September 2026)	Implant and surgeon fee; other items not stated

What Changes the Price of a Revision?

The price of a revision depends on how many parts the surgeon replaces and how much bone needs rebuilding.

• Parts replaced: a knee revision may replace one component or all three: femoral, tibial, and patellar.
• Bone rebuilding: metal augments, longer stems, or bone graft mean more implant parts on your quote.

What Should Your Written Quote Include?

A revision quote should name every implant part, every fee, and the number of hospital nights.

• Parts and rebuilding: which implant parts are replaced, and whether augments, stems, or graft are included.
• Implant identity: the implant’s name, model, and ANMAT registration number. ANMAT is Argentina’s medical products regulator.
• Inpatient stay: the nights in hospital that the price pays for.
• Fees: the surgeon, anesthesia, and facility, and whether tests and therapy cost extra.
• Dollar total and deadline: one US-dollar figure and the last day you can accept it.
• Payment terms: the deposit and the accepted methods, typically card or bank transfer.
• Insurance: Medicare usually does not pay for care outside the US.

Why Does a Knee or Hip Replacement Need Revision?

Loosening and deep infection are the two leading reasons for revision in both joints, according to national joint registries.

These registries cover England, Wales and Northern Ireland, four Nordic countries, New Zealand, and Australia. They report these shares of all revisions in each joint:

Reason for revision	Hip revisions	Knee revisions
Loosening without infection	35.1%	18.3%
Deep infection	18.2%	21.6%
Dislocation or instability	15.9%	14.1%
Fracture around the implant	11.4%	Below top four
Pain with no other cause	Below top four	10.9%

Patients who were young at their first operation may outlive the implant and need a revision for loosening or wear.

What Happens During Knee or Hip Revision Surgery?

The surgeon removes the failed implant parts and fits revision implants, often with longer, thicker stems. Lost bone is rebuilt with metal augments or, rarely, bone graft.

Is a Revision Harder Than a First Joint Replacement?

Yes. A revision takes longer, needs more planning, and uses special implants and tools. Removing the old implant and its cement adds time, and a hip revision usually lasts several hours. Recovery is slower too.

How Is an Infected Implant Treated?

Surgeons treat an infected implant with a washout, a one-stage exchange, or a two-stage exchange.

• Washout with the implant kept: the surgeon cleans the joint and swaps the plastic insert (knee) or the ball and liner (hip).
• One-stage exchange: the surgeon removes the infected implant and fits a new one in the same operation.
• Two-stage exchange: the surgeon removes the implant, places an antibiotic cement spacer for several weeks, and gives IV antibiotics. The second operation follows a few months later, after the infection clears.

The choice depends on the bacteria, how long the infection has lasted, and patient preference. Removing the implant gives a higher chance of cure and a longer recovery.

What Is the Success Rate of Revision Knee Replacement?

In the UK registry, about 85 in 100 first knee revisions needed no further revision within 10 years. The other 15 in 100 had another revision, five times the rate after a first knee replacement.

Revision patients improve, though less than after a first replacement. The Oxford Knee Score is a 0 to 48 patient questionnaire on pain and function, and higher is better. After revision, scores rose from 15.8 to 29.0, a gain of 13.2 points. First total knee replacement patients gain 16.5 points.

What Are the Results of Hip Revision?

In 963 hip revisions at three French university hospitals, 14% needed another operation over an average follow-up of 4.4 years. Infection caused 53% of those failures. In the UK registry, the Oxford Hip Score (also out of 48) rose from 19.9 to 33.9 after revision.

What Does a Revision Trip to Argentina Include?

A revision trip with MTP runs from records review and remote consultation to surgery, a nearby recovery stay, and a handover to your US doctor.

1. Share your records: send MTP your first-surgery records and recent imaging.
2. Consult remotely: the Argentine surgeon studies your records and imaging and tells you whether travel suits your case.
3. Verify the hospital and surgeon: search REFES, Argentina’s list of health facilities, for the hospital, and REFEPS, its list of licensed professionals, for the surgeon. Ask MTP to check with the hospital before you pay a deposit if a search finds nothing. Ask whether the hospital holds JCI or ITAES accreditation and confirm it on the accreditor’s website.
4. Review the written quote: confirm it lists the parts, nights, fees, and payment terms.
5. Book travel: Once the date is set, MTP arranges your flights. Entry rules are in our guide to medical tourism in Argentina.
6. Surgery and hospital stay: your revision takes place in a private Buenos Aires or Córdoba hospital, with the first days spent as an inpatient.
7. Recover nearby: MTP books lodging close to your surgeon for the months of your recovery.
8. Take your records home: ask the hospital for a certified copy of your record, due within 48 hours under Argentine law, and your implant card. Request English copies and hand everything to your US doctor.

Which Records Should You Send Before a Revision?

Five records let an Argentine surgeon plan your revision:

• Operative note from the first surgery: it describes what the first surgeon placed, and the revision surgeon plans from it.
• Implant labels or implant card: manufacturer, model, and lot or serial number.
• X-rays and any CT, MRI, or bone scan: they show loosening, implant position, and bone loss.
• Blood tests and any joint fluid results: they rule infection in or out.
• Medication list and other conditions: the surgeon needs both to judge your risk.

How Long Will You Stay in Argentina, and When Can You Fly Home?

MTP plans for about 3 months in Argentina, and your surgeon’s written clearance sets the day you fly home.

• Hospital stay: a revision knee patient usually leaves hospital 3 to 7 days after surgery, according to a UK specialist orthopedic hospital.
• Flying after a knee revision: the same hospital advises waiting 3 months. Flying raises the risk of a blood clot in the leg (DVT), and high-risk patients may wait longer.
• Flying after a hip revision: your hip surgeon sets the date.
• Compression stockings: the hospital advises wearing elastic stockings for up to 6 weeks after a knee revision.

Is Revision Surgery in Argentina Safe, and Who Should Not Travel?

Revision surgery carries higher risks than a first replacement. MTP advises patients with an active infection, an urgent problem, or unstable health to stay home.

• Infection: deep infection affects about 1% of first knee replacements and 5% to 10% of revisions, according to a UK orthopedic hospital.
• Surgical complications: in a large US database, revision knee patients needed more transfusions than first-time patients (4.6% against 1.3%). They also had more kidney injury (4.4% against 1.8%) and blood clots (0.55% against 0.29%).
• Death within 90 days: about 1 in 100 UK knee revision patients died, in registry records that include the first surgery.
• Complications after travel: infections are the most common complication among medical tourists, according to the CDC.

Plan for complications with both your US clinician and the Argentine surgeon. These situations call for a revision at home:

• An active joint infection: treatment can take two operations months apart, so start it with your own surgeon.
• An urgent problem: a fracture around the implant needs prompt care at home.
• Unstable health: heart, lung, or kidney disease or diabetes that is not under control.
• No clinician at home: no US doctor has agreed to take over your care after the flight.

What Do Patients Ask About Joint Revision Surgery in Argentina?

Answers to common questions about joint revision surgery in Argentina.

Plan Your Joint Revision Surgery in Argentina

Send your first-surgery records and latest imaging, and MTP returns a written revision quote with your recovery stay planned. Request a free consultation.

Sources and references

• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfo: Revision Total Knee Replacement, checked October 4, 2026.
• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfo: Revision Total Hip Replacement, checked October 4, 2026.
• National Joint Registry (UK), Annual Report 2026, Executive Summary (data to 2025), checked October 4, 2026.
• Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Causes of revision after hip and knee arthroplasty across national registers (2024), checked October 4, 2026.
• Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, Big data analysis of revision versus primary total knee arthroplasty (March 2025), checked October 4, 2026.
• Bone and Joint Open, Why revision of total hip arthroplasty fails (February 3, 2026), checked October 4, 2026.
• Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Teaching Hospitals, Revision Total Knee Replacement patient information leaflet (reviewed January 2025), checked October 4, 2026.
• CoveredUSA, Hip Replacement Cost Without Insurance 2026 (September 2, 2026), checked October 4, 2026.
• CoveredUSA, Knee Replacement Cost Without Insurance 2026 (May 15, 2026), checked October 4, 2026.
• MDsave, Knee Replacement Revision (Inpatient) cash-price listing, read October 4, 2026.
• Newsweek and Statista, Latin America’s Top Private Hospitals & Clinics 2026: Knee Surgery & Knee Replacement and Hip Surgery & Hip Replacement (published January 21, 2026), checked October 4, 2026.
• Asociación Argentina de Ortopedia y Traumatología, Reglamentación de Actividades Educativas (updated 2024), checked October 4, 2026.
• American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, AAHKS/ACARO Conclude Co-Branded Meeting in Argentina (September 22, 2017), checked October 4, 2026.
• American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, AAHKS co-branded Latin American congresses (May 3, 2024), checked October 4, 2026.
• Hip International, Tantalum cups and augments versus custom 3D-printed trabecular titanium for Paprosky 3A and 3B acetabular defects (September 2026), checked October 4, 2026.
• Revista de la Asociación Argentina de Ortopedia y Traumatología, Revisión en un tiempo para infecciones periprotésicas de cadera y rodilla: experiencia multicéntrica (vol. 90, no. 5, 2025), checked October 4, 2026.
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC Yellow Book: Medical Tourism (reviewed April 23, 2025), checked October 4, 2026.
• Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Registro Federal de Establecimientos de Salud (REFES) help page, checked October 4, 2026.
• Ministerio de Salud, Argentina.gob.ar, electronic prescription page for professionals (REFEPS lookup), checked October 4, 2026.
• Argentine Congress, via Argentina.gob.ar, Ley 26.529 on patient rights, clinical record, and informed consent, checked October 4, 2026.
• ANMAT, Boletín Oficial, Disposición ANMAT 9688/2019 (published December 3, 2019), checked October 4, 2026.
• Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy (2023), study abstract on PubMed defining the Oxford Knee Score scale, checked October 5, 2026.
• Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research (2022), study abstract on PubMed defining the Oxford Hip Score scale, checked October 5, 2026.
• Medicare.gov, Travel outside the U.S., checked October 4, 2026.