What is the brain tumor surgery cost in India?

• What is the cost of brain tumor surgery in major cities of India?
• What are the different treatments available for brain tumor surgery in India? 
• What are the factors affecting the cost of brain tumor surgery in India?
• Pre-operative Preparation Costs:
• Post-operative Costs:

Brain Tumor surgery is widely performed in Indian Hospitals and the cost of brain tumor surgery or operation may vary mildly depending on different conditions. However, at the outset brain tumour surgery cost in India lies between . 

The average brain tumor surgery cost you ₹1, 90,000 ($2,494).

The maximum estimate of brain tumor operation cost in India is up to ₹7, 50,000 ($9,846).

These prices may also vary depending on the type of surgery you’re getting. There are two types of brain tumor surgery namely, Craniotomy and Neuroendoscopy.

A craniotomy is a conventional and most common surgery performed, which will cost you up to ₹5, 00,000 ($6,564) cumulatively, on average. While Neuroendoscopy is the latest surgery procedure that uses a less invasive surgical technique and is less painful for the patient. This surgery may cost you around ₹10, 00,000 ($13,129) to ₹15, 00,000 ($19,693).

Sometimes, the patient cannot be clearly treated using these methods due to the complexity of the tumor. In such cases, a biopsy is taken to understand better and personalise the treatment. The cost of a biopsy may be around ₹33,000 ($433) on average.

Note: The cost of a biopsy is subjective and may depend on the patient’s condition.

What is the cost of brain tumor surgery in major cities of India?

India has a relatively low cost of surgery compared to other countries. Cost of brain surgery in India varies depending on the type of surgery and the hospital. All major hospitals across the country, in major cities, perform the surgery for a comparatively nominal fair. Below is a list of minimum and maximum costs you can expect, on average, in hospitals across the country. 

 The aforementioned cost details may vary depending on a wide range of factors such as type of surgery, hospital, room charges, miscellaneous, etc. Different hospitals have their own charges, but the average cost would be within this range.

Now let's broadly discuss the available brain tumor surgery treatment cost!

What are the different treatments available for brain tumor surgery in India? 

Brain tumor surgery or treatment is broadly termed Neurosurgery. It is performed by a neurosurgeon who aims at eliminating the cancerous or non-cancerous growth of cells that can prove harmful to the normal functioning of the body. There are over 5 types of brain surgery that is used to remove the tumor.

1. CRANIOTOMY

It is the most common type of brain surgery. It is usually carried out under general anaesthesia. It is an open surgery where the surgeon makes an incision in a part of the skull in order to remove the tumor. Through this hole, the tumor is excised out and cleared from the location.

The cost of a craniotomy in India would be around ₹2, 00,000 ($2,625)to ₹5, 00,000 ($6,564) on average.

2. NEUROENDOSCOPY

A Neuroendoscopy is a minimally invasive technique where the tumor is removed out of the brain with the use of a small hole or drill in. This incision is usually smaller than in a Craniotomy. After determining the tumor's position, a small hole is drilled into the skull, and the tumor is removed using tools placed through the endoscope along with a surgical camera, light, and other equipment, without harming normal brain cells.

The average cost of a Neuroendoscopy would be ₹10, 00,000 ($13,129) in India.

3. MRI-GUIDED LASER ABLATION

This is a more advanced type of treatment. It is performed when the tumor is located in a sensitive location or is out of reach for the other conventional treatment methods. In this treatment, a laser is used to treat the tumor and lower its rate of growth. With successive treatment, the tumor is eliminated.

The cost of an MRI-guided laser ablation would be around ₹80,000 ($1,050) in Indian major cities.

4. BIOPSY

In the event of when the tumor is not visible clearly or the nature of the tumor cannot be understood, surgeons opt for an additional step – biopsy. This technique involves taking a small amount of tumor tissue as a sample to run further tests for Identification.

The cost of a Biopsy in India may be around ₹33,000 ($433) on average.

5. AWAKE BRAIN SURGERY

The Awake Brain surgery is performed on patients when they’re half-awake during the surgery. The patients are treated with local anaesthesia for reduced pain. Such surgery is performed when the location of the tumor is sensitive or a functional region of the brain. This is to ensure patient safety. 

The average cost of awake brain surgery may be around ₹3, 50,000 ($4,595).

6. Radiosurgery

This is a rather expensive treatment in India hence less commonly opted. In radiosurgery, brain cancer patients are treated with stereotactic radiosurgery - which involves the use of a “Gamma Knife”. This surgery is an external radiation treatment that does not involve any kind of incision but use special equipment. The Gamma Knife is one such device that precisely delivers a high dose of radiation targeting tumors and lesions in the brain, minimizing damage to the nearby healthy tissue.

The average cost for radiosurgery in India is ₹7, 61,925- ₹38, 09,625 ($10,000-$50,000).

What are the factors affecting the cost of brain tumor surgery in India?

There are numerous factors that affect the cost of surgery in India. These may include:

Pre-operative Preparation Costs:

The pre-operative costs include consultation, physical examination, MRI scans, etc.

• The cost of consultation may depend on the doctor and hospital. On average it is between ₹1600 and ₹2000.
• Diagnostic tests such as blood tests, allergies, etc. A blood test would cost you between ₹200-250 but this test will mostly be incorporated with other tests.
• The patient may require a full-body physical examination before the surgery to test for other factors. The cost of a physical examination may range between ₹7000 and ₹11,000.
• The patient may require a chest X-ray for the general examination of the body. This may cost around ₹200-300.
• The costs of various scans such as MRI, CT or Ultrasound may also add on. MRI scan will cost you around ₹1500 to ₹2000 , ₹1500 to ₹3500 for CT-scan and ₹600-750 for an Ultrasound.
• Doctors may also recommend a PET scan to do an in-depth analysis of the tumour and its surrounding tissue. Though it is an expensive procedure, PET scan cost in India is affordable if compared to other developed nations. It will cost you around ₹15, 000 on an average. 

Post-operative Costs:

Once the surgery is successfully completed, there are further steps to be taken to ensure the complete recovery of the patient. The patient needs to stay in the hospital for a few more days, take prescribed medications and post-operative tests and scans will be performed. The costs of these procedures should also be expected of the patient.

• Hospital room rent for successive days. This may be around ₹3000 to ₹6000/day depending on the hospital and the duration of stay.
• The ICU and general ward charges may cost in the range of ₹18,000 to ₹24,000 for 3-4 days.
• Regular check-ups are done to track the progress of the tumor. This may cost around ₹4000 to 5000.
• This is followed by medications for pain and recovery of the patient. The cost of medications may vary from ₹10,000 to ₹50,000 depending on the course prescribed and the nature of the medication.

*This article is on the cost of brain tumor surgery in India and data about it is only for your informational purpose and is subject to change.