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Heart Bypass Surgery Cost in India - Get Cost Estimate
What is Heart Bypass Surgery Cost in India?
Heart bypass surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures, with around 1 million cardiac surgeries being performed each year worldwide. In India, over 420 cardiac centres conduct approximately 3,00,000 cardiac procedures annually .
The average cost of heart bypass surgery in India ranges between INR 2,00,000 and INR 3,60,000 for Indian patients. For international patients, the cost ranges between USD 4000 and USD 6000. This cost includes surgeon fees, anaesthesia charges, OT charges, medical consumables and hospital stay for 6-8 days.
What is Heart Bypass Surgery?
Due to high cholesterol levels in the body, fatty substances known as plaques get deposited on the walls of the coronary arteries (blood vessels in the heart). This condition is known as atherosclerosis. As a result of this, the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle gets limited, giving rise to coronary artery disease (CAD).
Some of the common symptoms of CAD are listed below.
- Angina (chest pain)
- Fatigue
- Heart palpitations
- Abnormal heartbeat
- Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
- Swelling in the hands and feet
To treat this condition in the patient, cardiac surgeons perform heart bypass surgery. It is medically referred to as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). In this procedure, surgeons create an alternative pathway called a bypass, utilising blood vessels from the patient’s legs or wrists. This bypass is a new route for the blood supply to the heart, thus improving the overall blood flow.
Heart bypass surgery is suggested when less invasive treatments such as angioplasty and stent placement have not prevented or reduced alleviating symptoms caused as a result of coronary artery disease (CAD).
What are the Types of Heart Bypass Surgery?
The cardiac surgeons decide on the surgical techniques to be employed based on the individual’s health and their associated complications. Some of the surgical procedures are listed below.
- On-pump surgery: This is a surgical procedure in which a heart-lung machine takes over the function of the patient’s heart. The machine delivers oxygenated blood throughout the body and brain while the bypass is being performed.
- Off-pump CABG: In this surgery, the surgeon operates directly on the beating heart, reducing the risk of perioperative bleeding and stroke. It is most commonly performed in high-risk patients mainly to minimise morbidity and mortality.
Some examples of minimal invasive techniques are keyhole bypass surgery and robotic bypass surgery.
What are the Key Factors That Affect the Heart Bypass Surgery Cost in India?
When suffering from acute chest pain induced as a result of CAD, it becomes crucial to see a cardiac surgeon and get the proper treatment.
Individual’s health status determines the surgical procedure to be performed which may impact the expenses. Following are some other factors that might affect the cost of heart bypass surgery in India:
Type of surgery involved
On-pump and off-pump heart surgery utilises less complicated machines and is less expensive than advanced technology being adopted these days. The average cost of different types of surgeries are listed below.
| Type of Surgery | INR | USD |
|---|---|---|
| On-pump and off-pump bypass surgery | 2,00,000- 3,60,000 | 4000-6000 |
| Minimal invasive bypass surgery | Additional 50,000 | Additional 1000 |
- Hospital stay: The duration of hospitalisation post-surgery may affect the overall cost. Patients who require a longer stay may incur higher expenses.
- Location of the hospital: The hospital’s location and its distance from major cities may increase the cost. Hospitals in metropolitan areas usually have higher overhead costs, which reflects in the final cost.
- Additional stay at hospital/ICU: In certain medical complexities, the patient may have to stay for some extra days in the hospital or ICU for post-operative care. Thus, the additional hospital stay costs around INR 12,000 and INR 20,000 (USD 200 to USD 300) on a per day basis.
What are Pre-surgical and Post-surgical Expenses in Heart Bypass Surgery?
There are some tests and follow-ups required that may add to expenses apart from the surgery. It can be classified as:
Pre-surgical examination cost: (complete blood count, electrocardiogram, coronary angiography, CT scan, nuclear stress test etc.): INR 15,000 to INR 20,000 (USD 250 to USD 300)
Post-surgery cost: (follow-up consultations and medications): INR 3,000 to INR 4,000 (USD 50 to USD 100)
What should be Post-surgery Care?
Recovery after heart bypass surgery is a gradual process and requires lots of patience. Extra care should be taken so that the patient starts feeling better with each passing day. Some of the measures to be followed by the patients soon after the surgery are as follows-
1. Taking care of the wound
Patients should ensure the stitches and wound heal without any signs of infection. It’s advisable to take brief showers, lasting no more than 10 minutes, during the healing process.
2. Cardiac rehabilitation
Many hospitals offer rehabilitation programs that provide exercise training and overall monitoring of health. This ensures faster recovery for patients under the guidance of the doctor.
3. Lifestyle changes
In order to reduce further risks and complications, doctors advise the patients to adopt a healthy lifestyle such as:
- Quit smoking
- Maintain a healthy diet
- Maintain body weight
- Stop drinking
- Take a good amount of sleep
Does Insurance Cover Heart Bypass Surgery in India?
After consulting the doctor, you have to submit the hospital documents and policy paper to the insurance agency. Then, they will check whether you are eligible for the claim or not. After all the required paperwork has been processed and approved, the insurance agency will coordinate with the hospital to ensure covering of medical expenses as per policy terms.
Various health insurance agencies offer policy plans for hospital medical treatment with their empanelled hospitals. An insurance policy usually covers in-patient care, surgical treatment charges, daycare treatment, pre and post-hospitalisation, expenses on medicine and rehabilitation treatment expenses.
Before getting a policy, it’s important to verify its coverage areas, duration and network of hospitals they are associated with.