How the hospital estimate is built
For international self-pay patients, major German university hospitals describe a case-specific process: the clinical team reviews the medical records, defines the expected treatment, and only then can the international office prepare a preliminary estimate. The final invoice can differ if the actual diagnostics, procedure, hospital stay or complications differ from the original plan.
- Clinical review before a useful quotation
- Planned diagnostics and procedure included in the estimate
- Advance payment may be required before a confirmed appointment
- Hospital stay and high-cost materials can materially affect the amount
- Final settlement follows the care actually delivered
Primary and revision replacement should not be priced as the same procedure
Revision surgery can require implant removal, specialized reconstruction, infection testing or bone-graft/augment materials. A headline price for uncomplicated primary arthroplasty is therefore not a useful estimate for a failed existing prosthesis.
What to compare between quotations
Make sure both offers cover the same expected episode.
- Implant and surgical materials
- Pre-operative tests
- Expected inpatient stay
- Physiotherapy during admission
- Post-operative imaging and wound review
- Revision-specific tests or implants if relevant
- Whether rehabilitation is separate
Official sources
Last source-reviewed 2026-08-29. Cost procedures and published service fees can change, so confirm current terms directly with the provider before transferring money or booking travel.
- Cost Plan — LMU Klinikum International Patient Office ↗
- International patient process and cost estimate — University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) ↗
- Finance for international patients — Heidelberg University Hospital ↗
- Hip osteoarthritis: treatment — gesund.bund.de – German Federal Ministry of Health ↗