From US · Knee replacement · Poland

Knee replacement in Poland from the US: what the trip costs against paying at home

Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)

Short answer

For Americans, a knee replacement in Poland costs $6,570–$9,910 at the clinics we checked, or about $8,570 once an example return flight and 10 hotel nights are added. That is about $20,530 less than the lowest self-pay price we found in the US ($29,100).

Clinic price: $6,570–$9,9104 providers, one primary total knee replacement on one side, with the implant and hospital stay. Partial knees and fees without the implant are shown but not compared
Example trip: $8,570clinic $6,570 + flight $900 + 10 hotel nights $1,100
Pay privately in US: $29,100
Wait in US: No national waiting list
Time there: About 10 to 14 days in many cases: 2 to 4 nights in hospital, then physiotherapy near the clinic until the surgeon says you can fly. Ask for the clinic’s own rule
Rank from US: 1 of 4 countries by total trip cost

Figure 1Where the money goes, in USD

Clinic $6,570Flight $900Hotel $1,100Home $29,100

Trip total $8,570$20,530 under home

Lowest published clinic price, an example return fare from the US and 10 hotel nights at $110; the amber line is the lowest self-pay price at home. Examples, not quotes.

Figure 2Knee replacement: cheapest trip from the US, by country

Poland$8,570–$11,910

Thailand$8,920

Hungary$9,220

Mexico$14,400

Total trip in USD: lowest to highest published price plus the same example flight and hotel rules. The dashed line is the lowest self-pay price at home. Click a country for its page for Americans.

Published knee replacement prices in Poland

Each row is a price the provider publishes itself, in its own currency, with what it includes. The converted amounts use a fixed European Central Bank rate.

Knee replacement prices in Poland
Provider	Published price	What the price is for	Source
KORT KlinikaOpole	29,000 PLNabout £5,530 · €6,600 · C$10,340 · $7,390	Total knee replacement: surgery 22,000 PLN plus total knee prosthesis 7,000 PLNPre-operative tests if required, the operation, the implant, up to 3 days in hospital and in-hospital rehabilitation. Partial (one-compartment) knee 27,000 PLN.	KORT Klinika (Opole)read 26 October 2026
Klinika SilesiaOpole	29,000 PLNabout £5,530 · €6,600 · C$10,340 · $7,390	Total knee replacement (TKA)The operation, implant, hospital stay and perioperative care. Partial knee (UKA) 27,000 PLN.	Klinika Silesia (Opole)read 26 October 2026
KCM ClinicJelenia Góra	32,900 PLN to 38,900 PLNabout £6,270–£7,410 · €7,490–€8,850 · C$11,730–C$13,870 · $8,380–$9,910	PAKIET OP total knee replacement, by implant (Enovis Lima cemented or Zimmer NexGen 32,900 to Mathys BalanSys nickel-free 38,900)Named implant, anaesthesia, 3 days in hospital and 7 days of rehabilitation. DePuy Attune package 33,900. Surgery and implant without the package: 28,900 to 34,900.	KCM Clinic (Jelenia Góra)read 26 October 2026
Szpital św. Wojciecha (Wielkopolskie Centrum Medyczne)Poznań	From 25,800 PLNabout £4,920 · €5,870 · C$9,200 · $6,570	Knee replacement, 4-day stayPrice “from”, 4-day stay. Anaesthetist consultation 365 PLN extra. Implant not stated.	Szpital św. Wojciecha (Poznań)read 26 October 2026
Szpital im. prof. M. Weissa (Mazowieckie Centrum Rehabilitacji “Stocer”)Konstancin-Jeziorna	10,000 PLNabout £1,910 · €2,280 · C$3,560 · $2,550	Primary total knee replacement, procedure fee onlyImplant, prosthesis, fixation and drugs charged on top at tendered prices (not stated); anaesthesia and nursing 1,000 PLN; room 200 to 400 PLN a day. Not comparable with an all-in price.Not comparable	Mazowieckie Centrum Rehabilitacji “Stocer” (gov.pl)read 26 October 2026

Prices are copied as published, in the provider's currency. Conversions use the European Central Bank reference rates of 23 October 2026 and are rounded. A provider can change a price at any time: ask for a written quote.

Poznań's MSWiA hospital is a public hospital that also sells services to paying patients; its list is dated 1 January 2026. Private clinics in Warsaw publish similar or higher prices. Polish eye clinics charge a separate qualification visit before cataract surgery.

Against waiting or paying in the US

The US has no national public waiting list; what matters is the price your insurer or the hospital charges.

Paying privately in the US: $29,100, from Hospital cash prices (JAMA Network Open study). These are 2021 hospital cash-price medians or a dental school estimate, so today’s prices are probably higher.

Can your insurer pay?

Ask your insurer before you book. Plans rarely pay for planned treatment abroad unless they have agreed in writing first.

Planning the trip from the US

Get a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for a knee replacement and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
Before you goSend recent X-rays and a list of your medicines, and ask for a written, itemised quote with the implant named.
Before you goArrange physiotherapy at home for after you return before you book.
Before you goCheck your travel insurance covers planned surgery abroad and a delayed flight home. Most standard policies do not.
Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: US citizens (State Department, choose the country).
LanguagePolish; private clinics in big cities often have English-speaking staff, public hospitals less often.
After you returnGive your GP and physiotherapist the operation note with the implant details.
After you returnA hot, swollen calf, chest pain or breathlessness after the flight need emergency care straight away.

Add your flight and hotel

Put in your real fare from the US and your hotel to see the total for Poland next to every other country.

Open the calculator

Knee replacement in Poland from the US: questions

How much is a knee replacement in Poland for Americans?

The published prices we found work out at $6,570–$9,910 at the clinic, from KORT Klinika, Klinika Silesia, KCM Clinic and Szpital św. Wojciecha (Wielkopolskie Centrum Medyczne). With an example return flight of $900 and 10 hotel nights at $110, the trip comes to about $8,570. Your own fares and dates will change the total.

Is it cheaper than paying privately in the US?

Yes, by about $20,530 on these example figures: the lowest self-pay price we found at home is $29,100. The gap shrinks if your flight costs more or you need extra nights.

How long is the wait for a knee replacement in the US?

There is no national public waiting list in the US; the question is usually the price your insurer pays.

How many days do I need in Poland?

About 10 to 14 days in many cases: 2 to 4 nights in hospital, then physiotherapy near the clinic until the surgeon says you can fly. Ask for the clinic’s own rule. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice; ask the clinic for its schedule in writing.

Will my insurer pay for it?

Ask your insurer before booking. Most plans pay little or nothing for planned treatment abroad unless they agree in advance.

Sources

Cennik: zabiegi ortopedyczne. KORT Klinika (Opole). Read 26 October 2026.
Ile kosztuje endoproteza kolana w Polsce w 2026 roku?. Klinika Silesia (Opole). Read 26 October 2026.
Cennik: ortopedia. KCM Clinic (Jelenia Góra). Read 26 October 2026.
Cennik: ortopedia, staw kolanowy. Szpital św. Wojciecha (Poznań). Read 26 October 2026.
Cennik Szpitala im. prof. M. Weissa: operacje ortopedyczne. Mazowieckie Centrum Rehabilitacji “Stocer” (gov.pl). Read 26 October 2026.
Price transparency in hospitals: cash prices for common services (Jiang, Makary, Bai), JAMA Network Open. JAMA Network Open, via PubMed Central, 21 December 2021. Read 26 October 2026.
Cennik usług medycznych obowiązujący od 1.01.2026 (price list valid from 1 January 2026). Szpital MSWiA w Poznaniu (Ministry of Interior hospital, Poznań), 1 January 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.