Hungary to scrap BMI limits for hip and knee replacement surgeries

Hungarian Health Minister Zsolt Hegedűs announced plans to abolish a protocol that restricted access to elective hip and knee replacement surgeries for patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) above 35. Under the current rules established by the National Health Insurance Fund Management (NEAK) in April 2023, patients exceeding this threshold were often placed on inactive waiting lists until they achieved weight loss.

Hegedűs criticized the existing protocol as “unorthodox” and “discriminatory,” noting that it was implemented without consulting professional medical colleges. He argued that setting a strict BMI limit is counterproductive and can lead to severe health consequences due to prolonged delays. The proposed change would shift decision-making power to surgical teams and hospitals, allowing them to assess individual patient suitability rather than relying on a fixed numerical limit.

Medical experts, including Miklós Szendrői of the Hungarian Orthopaedic and Traumatology Association, noted that while a BMI above 40 increases surgical risks, it should not be an absolute exclusion criterion if other health parameters are stable. Ministerial commissioner Ákos Zahár added that while risks increase with higher BMI, surgery remains viable through informed joint decisions between doctors and patients.