Replacement + checkup + TCM
One stay in China: your hip or knee replacement, a pre-op health checkup and TCM care while you recover
A joint replacement is not a short trip. UK hospitals advise about 12 weeks before a long-haul flight, so you either stay for weeks or agree a flight date with your surgeon. A full checkup before surgery and TCM consultations during the recovery stay fit into the same plan and the same quote.
Total hospital bill for a hip or knee, two Chinese tertiary hospitals (peer-reviewed studies, 2022, local patients)
CNY 26,365–26,530 (≈ USD 3,950)
Full health checkup, from (Hangzhou public hospital)
CNY 1,320 (≈ USD 200)
TCM outpatient consultation, Beijing public tertiary hospital, by physician grade
CNY 50–100 (≈ USD 7–15)
Acupuncture at a provincial public hospital, per session (Fujian, 2025)
CNY 70 (≈ USD 10)
1 · Your replacement
Hip or knee replacement
Quoted individually from your X-rays and history, because there is no official price for foreign patients. For reference, at two tertiary hospitals the whole hospital bill averaged about CNY 26,365–26,530 (≈ USD 3,950) for local patients in 2022, and the average prosthesis cost about CNY 7,000 (≈ USD 1,050) for a hip and CNY 5,000 (≈ USD 750) for a knee after the 2021 national procurement. Foreign patients pay the full price.
2 · Health checkup
A full checkup before surgery
Every joint replacement starts with tests to confirm you are fit for surgery. A full checkup in the same hospital system goes further: one Hangzhou public hospital publishes four tiers, A CNY 1,320–1,670 (≈ USD 200–250), B CNY 2,880–3,411 (≈ USD 430–510), C CNY 3,980–4,703 (≈ USD 590–700) and D CNY 6,880–7,723 (≈ USD 1,050–1,150); tier D includes CT, a head MRI plus one other area and tumour markers.
3 · TCM during your recovery
TCM consultations while you stay
In China, TCM is part of hospital care and is used alongside medical treatment. A TCM physician reads your tongue and pulse, describes your constitution and may suggest acupuncture or changes to diet, sleep and daily routine, agreed with your surgeon. A consultation costs about CNY 50–100 (≈ USD 7–15) depending on the physician’s grade, and acupuncture about CNY 70 (≈ USD 10) a session. It is supporting care: it does not replace your physiotherapy or your surgeon’s instructions, and people respond differently.
Why one stay
You will be in China for weeks anyway
Because of the time needed before a long-haul flight, a joint replacement trip is long. The same hospital system can usually book the checkup before surgery and TCM visits during recovery, so one plan and one quote cover all three. A top-tier checkup with CT and MRI lists at under CNY 8,000 (≈ USD 1,200), against USD 2,500–11,000 for executive physicals at top US hospitals.
We handle the China part
An English-speaking coordinator from airport to aftercare
We book the hospital, meet you at the airport, arrange a hotel near the hospital, put an interpreter beside you at every appointment, help with WeChat and Alipay payment, translate your reports into English and stay in touch for follow-up after you fly home.
How your package quote works
- 1
1. Tell us about your hip or knee
Describe your symptoms and history. You can send X-rays when we follow up.
- 2
2. Choose your extras
Pick a checkup tier and whether to add TCM consultations during your recovery. Not sure? We suggest one.
- 3
3. Get one quote
Your replacement itemised, the checkup tier, the TCM visits, and a timeline that includes the recovery before you fly.
- 4
4. Decide at your own pace
Nothing is charged now. If we can’t help with your case, we’ll tell you.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to hip or knee replacement surgery?
Whether to have surgery or try other treatment first is a decision for an orthopaedic surgeon who has seen your X-rays and examined you. In China, TCM is part of hospital care and is used alongside orthopaedic treatment: a physician may suggest acupuncture, tui na massage, moxibustion or a herbal formula, usually as a course of sessions. The physician reads your tongue and pulse first, so two people with the same knee may get different treatment, and results differ from person to person. TCM works alongside medical care in China, not instead of it, and it does not replace a worn joint.
At what age can you have a hip or knee replacement?
Age alone does not settle it. The surgeon decides after a pre-operative assessment of your general health, which is why this package starts with a full checkup. Send your X-rays and medical history and a Chinese orthopaedic surgeon will say whether surgery suits you before you plan any travel.
Can you choose which surgical approach is used for your hip replacement?
You can ask, and you should. The surgeon recommends an approach based on your hip and their own experience. Before you travel, ask which approach they plan and why, which implant they will use, and how long they expect you to stay in hospital and in China. Your coordinator puts these questions to the surgeon in writing and translates the answers.
Read more
- Hip and Knee Replacement: Alternatives, Age Limits, Approaches
Alternatives to hip and knee replacement, what patients report about PRP and stem cells, whether age rules you out, and how surgical approaches differ.
USD amounts converted at about CNY 6.70 per USD (2026-10-07), for reference only. Foreign patients pay the full listed price.