Analytical report “Hip and knee arthroplasty in Macedonia 2023–2025
The Health Insurance Fund of Macedonia presented the Analytical Report “Hip and knee arthroplasty in Macedonia 2023–2025”, which shows a significant increase in the number of orthopaedic interventions in public health institutions and improved patient access to these health services.
According to the analysis, during 2025, a total of 4.044 hip and knee operationswere performed in public health institutions, representing an increase of 9,9 per cent compared with 2023, when 3.679 interventions were carried out. In the same period, an increase was also recorded in the total number of hospital days, which reached 44.049.
The largest increase was registered in knee replacement operations, where the number of interventions increased by 26,4 per cent, while primary hip endoprosthesis recorded growth of 17,8 per cent. The average age of patients who underwent these surgical procedures was 68,9 years.
The analysis shows that the largest share of interventions was carried out at the University Clinic for Traumatology, Orthopaedic Diseases, Anaesthesia, Resuscitation, Intensive Care and Emergency Centre (TOARILUC), the City General Hospital “8 September” and the Special Hospital for Orthopaedics and Traumatology “St Erasmus” – Ohrid, which together account for around 69 per cent of the total number of operations performed in the country.
With regard to waiting lists, as of May 2026, more than 659 patients waiting for hip surgery were recorded in the three largest orthopaedic centres in the country. The analysis shows that the reasons for longer waiting times vary and are mostly related to organisational and spatial capacities, rather than a lack of prostheses and medical materials.
Comparative data with countries in the region show that Macedonia is making significant progress in hip replacement operations and, in this segment, already exceeds several countries in the region. At the same time, the analysis indicates that in knee replacement operations there is additional room for growth and further improvement in the availability of these services.
The Director General of the Health Insurance Fund, Sasho Klekovski, stated that the results achieved confirm the continuous improvement of access to modern orthopaedic procedures for insured persons.
“These results confirm that access to life-important orthopaedic procedures is continuously improving. With the opening of the reconstructed operating blocks at the Clinical Centre and at CGH ‘8 September’, as well as with support for the development of knee arthroplasty in regional hospitals, we expect a further reduction in waiting lists and improved availability of services for patients”,- Klekovski stated.
The Health Insurance Fund will continue regularly monitoring conditions in orthopaedic activity and supporting health institutions towards improving the availability, quality and efficiency of health services for all insured persons.
