Orthopaedics in Georgia for international patients: joint replacement, spinal surgery and sports injuries

Which orthopaedic treatments do international patients plan in Georgia?

Orthopaedics treats diseases and injuries of the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and spine. Requests from international patients in this field usually fall into three groups, and each has its own logistics.

Joint replacement

Joint replacement means replacing a damaged joint with an artificial one, most often the hip or knee and, less often, the shoulder. A separate category is revision surgery, when a prosthesis already in place is replaced. In that case the surgeon particularly needs the details of the previous operation.

Spinal surgery

A herniated intervertebral disc, spinal canal stenosis, deformity or instability of the spine may be treated by either an orthopaedic surgeon or a neurosurgeon: this depends on how the clinic is organised and on the doctor's specialisation. Issues involving nerve structures are covered in the neurosurgery guide.

Sports injuries

Ligament reconstruction, treatment of meniscus or cartilage damage and shoulder instability are often treated by arthroscopy, that is, with a camera and instruments inserted through small incisions. The hospital stay here is usually short, but the recovery programme can be long.

This page is for patients coming from abroad. State funding of joint replacement for citizens of Georgia is described in a separate guide.

Why should rehabilitation be planned together with the operation?

In orthopaedics, the operation is only one part of treatment. Function is restored through physiotherapy, which often begins in hospital and continues for a long time after discharge. How long and how intensively is decided by the surgeon and the physiotherapist. Your task is to establish in advance where this programme will continue: in Georgia, staying on for a while after discharge, or at home, with a local physiotherapist.

This choice has three practical consequences:

• Visa period. Citizens of the listed countries can stay in Georgia visa-free for one year, while an e-visa holder has a much shorter period. A short-term visa cannot be extended inside the country, so long rehabilitation has to be calculated before you arrive. The rules by citizenship are on the visa and insurance page.
• Accommodation. When you are getting about on crutches or with a walking frame, a lift, the number of stairs, the bathroom layout and the distance to the clinic all matter. We check these when choosing an apartment or hotel.
• Transport. After surgery you may find it hard to get into an ordinary car. We plan transfers from the airport and to physiotherapy in a suitable vehicle; details are on the airport pick-up and transport page.

If you continue rehabilitation in Georgia, the options, including rehabilitation centres and resorts, are on the rehabilitation and spa resorts page. Your surgeon confirms which programme suits your condition.

Which images and records does an orthopaedic surgeon need?

In orthopaedics, remote assessment relies above all on images. A phone photo of a screen or of a film is often not enough for the surgeon: they need the file itself in order to take measurements and assess angles.

• X-rays in digital format, with the date taken. If the doctor ordered weight-bearing views, for example standing, mention this.
• MRI or CT in DICOM format, the complete study rather than individual frames, together with the radiologist's report.
• Reports of previous operations and, for a revision, the manufacturer and model of the implant already in place.
• What treatment you have tried: physiotherapy, injections, medicines, and for how long.
• Other conditions and medicines, including blood thinners, diabetes and allergies; these are needed to plan anaesthesia.
• A short description of what you struggle with day to day: walking, climbing stairs, sleep, sport. This helps the surgeon understand your expectations.

We check the collected files before they reach the clinic, and we arrange translation of records that are neither in Georgian nor in English through our imaging report translation service.

The implant: what should the quote say?

The choice of a joint prosthesis, a spinal fixation system or another orthopaedic implant is a medical decision made by the surgeon. But a patient has the right to know what is being placed in their body and what it costs. The Law of Georgia on Patient Rights requires the doctor to give the patient information about the service and its cost, so asking these questions is entirely normal.

We ask for the quote to state separately for the implant:

• the manufacturer and model, or at least the name of the system;
• whether its cost is included in the total or is a separate item;
• whether there is an alternative at a different price, and how it differs in the surgeon's view;
• whether a document with the implant details, such as a label with the serial number, is issued at discharge.

The last point is often forgotten, yet it matters for your future: if years later you need a revision or another operation, the surgeon in your country must know exactly what is in the joint.

What does an orthopaedic quote cover, and what is paid separately?

We do not quote a price for orthopaedic treatment on this page: it depends on the implant, the complexity of the operation, the clinic and the length of the hospital stay. What matters is that quotes are compared item by item. Below are the items that most often make the difference between two quotes that look similar at first glance.

On top of the clinic's quote come costs that usually do not appear in it: air tickets, accommodation, transport, the interpreter and our coordination fee. You pay the clinic's bill directly to the clinic, and our work separately, under an agreement signed in advance. We confirm the payment method with the clinic before you arrive, because not every country's cards work in Georgia; more details are in the guide to costs and payment.

The process with us and checking the clinic's permit

The sequence is simple: your images and records come to us, we check them, send them with your consent to licensed clinics, orthopaedic surgeons draw up written plans, we compare the quotes, and then come the journey, the operation, rehabilitation and your return home. How clinics are selected and quotes are requested is explained on the clinic selection page, and the day-to-day arrangements after you arrive on the personal coordinator page.

Orthopaedic surgery is usually performed in an inpatient facility, and in Georgia an inpatient facility cannot operate without a state permit; this permit is issued by the Regulation Agency for Medical and Pharmaceutical Activities. We have not found a public register where you could check this yourself. So we ask the clinic for a copy of its permit and check that it covers surgery, and we find out the name and specialty of the operating surgeon before your records are sent.

Painkillers and other medicines at the border

Pain management after orthopaedic surgery is a normal part of treatment, and this is exactly where a border issue arises that patients often fail to anticipate. Under the customs rules of the Georgian Revenue Service, medicines not subject to special controls may be brought into or taken out of the country for personal use, up to ten standard packs, without any medical documents.

A different rule applies to medicines containing narcotic and psychotropic substances: for personal use, no more than a 31-day supply is allowed, and only with documents. You need a customs declaration, as well as a prescription and a doctor's certificate, both in English and certified by the competent authority of the country you are travelling from. The customs list of medicines that require documents includes, for example, tramadol, pregabalin, gabapentin and baclofen, that is, medicines prescribed for pain, nerve pain or muscle spasm.

There are two practical conclusions. If you already take such a medicine, prepare the documents before you arrive. If it is prescribed to you in Georgia after the operation, ask the doctor which document you need to take it out and what your own country requires. Our medicines service helps with buying medicines and with the documents, and the general rules are in the guide to travelling with medicines.

Flying, insurance and returning home

Whether and when you can fly is decided by your surgeon, taking into account the type of operation and your mobility. For an orthopaedic patient, flying involves extra details too: narrow seats, steps up to the aircraft, long airport corridors. Wheelchair assistance and, if needed, a seat with extra legroom must be requested from the airline in advance; we arrange this when booking the ticket.

Since 1 January 2026, every foreign visitor entering Georgia has needed mandatory insurance covering the risk of illness and accident from arrival to departure, with a sum insured of at least GEL 30,000. Such a policy meets the entry requirement, but it usually does not pay for a planned operation or its complications. That is why the financial terms in case of a complication should be written into the clinic's quote. What to look out for when choosing a policy is in the insurance guide.

When you return home, your orthopaedic surgeon and physiotherapist will need four things: the operation report, the discharge summary, the implant details and a written rehabilitation plan with restrictions, for example how long not to put weight on the limb. Also take your post-operative X-ray in digital format. Under Georgian law you request copies of your records from the clinic in writing, and we send this request before discharge. The translation into your doctor's language is prepared by our discharge summary translation service, and arranging care at home is described on the care after surgery page.

Frequently asked questions about orthopaedic treatment in Georgia