Stifle surgery cost

My mare had a tendon op in November which is obviously different surgery, but I can give you some cost ideas. I don't think £1500 is an accurate cost. You need to contact the hospital where it will be carried out and get a more accurate idea. I was originally told it would be about £3500 ( it was at my vets with an outside surgeon), but because the surgeon came and did a number of horses his fee was substantially reduced to me as she wasn't insured. Including the 3 month check it cost me just under £2800. The hospitalisation and operation was just over £2500, with £1000 of that the surgeons fee. This means there was £1500 of other costs (care, hospital, drugs etc). Hospitalisation and nurse care was nearly £90 per day, 59 minutes of anaesthetic £190 (yes it was charged by the minute!), monitoring during recovery (again by the minute). Every gown, glove and drape is itemised on the bill. I hope this is helpful and I did't scare you.
For me the decision to operate was relatively easy. She was only 6 and without the surgery would never have been sound and the outlook was fairly positive. We are just now starting to bring here back into full work and it has been a long road.
 
Just an update as he's had his surgery and it's semi good news.

They mainly just did exploratory surgery on him and found he's got chondromalacia on both stifles. The cartilage in both stifles is soft and has little holes in it, rather than being firm and smooth. So he's going to get medicated for it and steroids to reduce the inflammation. 2 weeks box rest, followed by time in a small paddock until medication time, then 2 more weeks in a paddock. Then I can start hacking him for 20-30 mins every day for 3 months. Only walk of course, building up the hillwork, flat surfaces to begin with. Yay, hacking with the horse that thinks trees will eat him haha. But hopefully because he will no longer be in pain, he'll be less jumpy.

He'll unlikely go to high levels of dressage and unlikely ever jump again, but just happy that he'll not be in pain and can be exercised. He'll probably get the medicating done routinely with steroids too, and of course his saddle fitter will be getting booked again before I ride him, that thing is never gonna fit him now, he aint been ridden since January. I'm looking into these magnetic bands I keep seeing on FB as well, equ streamz or something, fetlock bands that you can leave on and it helps heal the horse. Going to ask the vet of course first.

Thanks for everyone's help. Really glad I wasn't quoted £20,000 like someone else, that's insane. Hope that was a typo too.
 
Goldenstar said:
That’s as good as good news can be in your situation , all the best for the future .
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Pretty much cheers. Was expecting worse, but surgeon was happy, vet that requested surgery was pretty delighted to have a diagnosis and not a very bad one. Think she's fond of the dopey boy. I'm not so much currently seeing as he nearly broke my foot trying to load him on Saturday to take to the vets and have been stuck with it elevated pretty much ever since. :p But I will be glad once I have him back, albeit from a distance so he doesn't crush the other foot.

Even if he remains a hacking and light schooling horse only, I'm happy. He'll be a good hacking horse once he gets over his fear of everything. But I do think that was mainly caused by the pain he wasn't always that bad.
 
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