The recognised starting point
ACi and MACi
The established search terms for cell-based cartilage regeneration. Professor Lee uses them as the familiar reference point when explaining the newer non-surgical and surgical pathways.
International & VIP Patients
A destination clinic patients travel to London for
From the Gulf, United States, Europe and Australia, patients come to London Cartilage Clinic for ACi and MACi assessment, the Nano RegenRepair™ family, STACi, ChondroFiller, Mytocel MSK and a fully handled trip.
Read the International Patient Guide
Reviewed byProfessor Paul Lee MBBch, FRCS (Tr & Orth), PhDCartilage and joint preservation expertisePatients from the Gulf, North America, Europe and Australia
Led by Professor Paul Lee
5.0 from 128+ verified reviews
ICRS teaching centre
Your concierge itinerary
Three steps, most of it before you travel
The pathway is arranged around you. The first two steps happen from home, and you travel only when there is a clear plan.
- I
Virtual consultation with Professor Lee
From your home country. Professor Lee reviews your imaging and history and tells you honestly whether a joint-preserving option is realistic, before you plan any travel.
- II
Your concierge handles the whole trip
If a treatment is proposed, a dedicated concierge takes over the booking: scans, scheduling, The Landmark London, chauffeur transfers and every detail, so all you do is arrive.
- III
Prepare and recover, if you wish
Many of our procedures need little recovery in reality. If you would like to, you can use the Regen Pod on Harley Street to prepare before your treatment and recover after it, before you travel home.
Why patients fly to London
Three reasons patients cross borders for London Cartilage Clinic
Patients travel from around the world for treatments, and a level of expertise, they cannot easily get at home. Never because we are faster, always because there are more options here.
Exclusivity
Options you may not have at home
ACi and MACi remain the familiar starting point. The wider choice now includes NanoACi and tissue-specific Nano pathways, Structure-led STACi, ChondroFiller and Mytocel MSK—options not routinely available together elsewhere.
Why patients travel hereAuthority
A world-published specialist
Professor Paul Lee is an internationally published cartilage and joint-preservation specialist, an ICRS teaching-centre lead with NJR and BASK credentials. Patients choosing between a handful of world specialists value that depth of experience most.
Professor Lee’s standingExperience
A fully handled trip
The Landmark London as a base, chauffeur transfers, a dedicated coordinator, scans, consultation, treatment and recovery, packaged as one so you can focus on getting better.
The concierge experienceWhy patients travel for treatment
Start with ACi or MACi. Then see what is now possible.
Patients from around the world often arrive searching for ACi or MACi because those are the best-known cartilage cell treatments. They remain important. The assessment also shows where NanoACi, the wider Nano family, the Structure-led STACi pathway, ChondroFiller or Mytocel MSK may fit more precisely.
Non-surgical RegenRepair™
The Nano family
NanoACi for cartilage, NanoAMi for meniscus, NanoATi for tendon and NanoALi for ligament adapt Seed, Soil and Signal to the tissue being treated.
Surgical RegenRepair™
STACi adds Structure
When alignment, stability or the damage pattern needs surgery, STACi addresses Structure before adding the Seed, Soil and Signal cartilage-regeneration biology.
Standalone or within a pathway
Mytocel MSK and ChondroFiller
Mytocel MSK provides living autologous micrografts; ChondroFiller provides a collagen scaffold. Each has a standalone role and both sit within Professor Lee’s wider regenerative toolkit.
Concierge and VIP · Our partner hotel
The Landmark London and a fully handled trip
London Cartilage Clinic is partnered with The Landmark London, one of the city’s great hotels. From the moment you enquire to the day you fly home, scans, consultation, treatment, recovery and accommodation are packaged and handled as one.
The Landmark London
A high-level hotel arrangement as your base, in the tier of a Mandarin Oriental or Shangri-La, a short journey from the clinic.
Chauffeur transfers
Chauffeured airport transfers and journeys between your hotel, the clinic and the surgical venue.
A dedicated coordinator
One team handling your medical records and MRI coordination from the first call through to full recovery.
Scans, care and rehab
Imaging arranged for you, a tailored preoperative plan and access to high-end rehabilitation facilities.
Choose your country
Where our international patients travel from
Select a location for the treatments most relevant to you, how to get here, and how costs and insurance work from home.
The Gulf has dedicated guidance because it is a major part of UK private healthcare: PHIN reports that 59% of international private patients treated in the UK over the previous five years came from the Arabian Peninsula. Read the PHIN guidance.
View
Choose a location
Guidance tailored to where you travel from
Hover or select a country on the map, or open its page from the list below.
Travelling from somewhere else?
We treat patients from around the world. If your country is not listed, start with a discovery call or a virtual consultation with Professor Lee and we will tailor the plan to you.
Virtual consultationVirtual consultation with Professor LeeChondroFiller · Patient journey
Follow a real ChondroFiller patient journey
ChondroFiller is one of the main reasons patients travel to London Cartilage Clinic. Watch a real patient’s journey through the treatment that people fly in from around the world for.
Authority
The surgeon you are choosing
International patients are usually choosing between a small number of world specialists, so the surgeon matters more than any single treatment. Your consultation, your treatment and your follow-up are all with Professor Paul Lee.
- Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and medical engineer, PhD
- Internationally published in cartilage repair and joint preservation, cited over 1,000 times
- Lead of an ICRS teaching centre for cartilage regeneration
- Joint-replacement outcomes recorded in the National Joint Registry, within the expected range
- Member of the British Association for Surgery of the Knee (BASK)
Costs and insurance
Direct pay, with pay-and-claim-back insurance
Treatment is quoted in pounds sterling. If you hold international private medical insurance, it is usually handled as pay-and-claim-back: you settle with the clinic and claim using an itemised invoice. No hidden extras, and a personalised quote after your assessment.
International patients
Frequently asked questions
Do you treat international patients at London Cartilage Clinic?
Yes. Patients travel to us from the Gulf, North America, Europe and Australia. The pathway is built to minimise trips: much of the early conversation happens by discovery call and virtual consultation with Professor Lee before you plan any travel.
Do I have to fly in for the first consultation?
No. The first step is a discovery call, followed by a virtual consultation with Professor Lee. Imaging is often reviewed in advance, so you travel only when there is a clear plan.
How is payment handled from abroad?
Treatment is direct pay, quoted in pounds sterling, with your bank handling the currency conversion. Where you hold international private medical insurance it is usually pay-and-claim-back: you settle with the clinic and claim using an itemised invoice.
Can you help with the hotel, transfers and logistics?
Yes. The concierge service covers a high-level hotel arrangement with our partner The Landmark London, chauffeur transfers, a dedicated coordinator, and medical records and MRI coordination, from your first call through recovery.
Which treatments do international patients travel for?
Many begin by searching for ACi or MACi. Professor Lee assesses those established treatments alongside NanoACi and the wider Nano family, the Structure-led surgical STACi pathway, ChondroFiller and Mytocel MSK. Suitability is always individual.
Can follow-up happen back in my home country?
Early reviews take place in London, and later follow-up and rehabilitation are coordinated closer to home, with Professor Lee available for remote review.
When can I fly home after treatment?
There is no single waiting period that is safe for everyone. The plan depends on the procedure, your mobility, journey length and individual blood-clot risk. Your surgeon’s clinical clearance and the airline’s permission are separate requirements.
Start your journey to London Cartilage Clinic
Wherever you are travelling from, the first step is the same. Book a discovery call, or have a virtual consultation with Professor Lee before you plan any travel.