Nigerian patients researching knee replacement in India meet two extremes: “save 70%” marketing and metro-centre price lists that assume a different country’s salary. The honest middle is this page — the journey assembled layer by layer, with the naira-side realities (FX, sticker visa, one-ticket routings) that Nigerian journeys specifically carry.
The hospital layer
Published Indian ranges for a total knee replacement (single knee, standard implant) run roughly ₹1,80,000–4,50,000 across tier-2 cities — Nagpur’s published band sits at ₹1,80,000–4,50,000 with robotic-assisted work at ₹2,50,000–3,50,000, and Indore’s tier-2 band runs ₹2,20,000–3,50,000. The spread inside those bands is mostly implant choice and room category. The line that matters is the itemized quote: procedure, implant brand and model, room rate, estimated stay, revision triggers.
| Layer | Notes |
|---|---|
| Hospital quote | Itemized, in writing, implant named by brand — what a proper quote contains |
| Consult before flying | $50 teleconsult with the orthopaedic specialist |
| Second opinion | $150 written review of the plan or a competing quote |
| Visa | Sticker medical visa via the embassy route (Nigeria is not on the e-visa list) |
| Flights | One Qatar Airways ticket: Lagos–Doha, then a Qatar-coded IndiGo leg onward |
| Recovery stay | Tier-2 lodging near the hospital from a few hundred rupees a night |
The Nigerian specifics
The sticker visa. Nigeria is not on India’s e-visa list, so the journey runs through the embassy route in Abuja or Lagos — the Nigeria visa dossier article walks the paperwork, which centres on the hospital’s invitation letter.
One ticket, genuinely. West Africa has no nonstop to central India; the Qatar Airways Lagos–Doha service connects onto a Qatar-coded IndiGo leg with through-checked bags — one booking for the whole journey. Airline schedules change; we confirm routings when you enquire.
FX reality. Nigerian families know the naira’s movement makes fixed-USD thinking essential: our fees are set in dollars and published, and the hospital quote is locked in writing before you travel — so the currency risk you carry is your bank’s conversion, not a moving treatment price.
What the journey needs beyond money
A knee replacement is a 1–2 week journey: pre-operative assessment, surgery, early mobilization, and fly-home clearance from your surgeon. An attendant’s visa and stay are part of the plan from day one. And the follow-up plan — physiotherapy, the month-three check — belongs in the discharge file in writing; our complications-and-aftercare guide covers what to demand before you pay anyone.
What Medtu Care is paid
The published ladder: $50 consult, $150 written second opinion, $1,000 full journey coordination — each credited to the next. No commissions from hospitals; you pay the hospital directly on its own invoice.
Sources
- Medibuddy/Varunam aggregator ranges for Nagpur knee replacement — published bands. Accessed 29 October 2026.
- Dr Mahajan’s knee-replacement pricing guide — tier-2 band including Indore. Accessed 29 October 2026.
- Government of India e-Visa portal — eligibility list (Nigeria not included; embassy route applies). Accessed 29 October 2026.