Fontan procedures Cost in Chennai, India

The cost of the Fontan procedure in Chennai typically ranges from $1,550 to $5,750 USD (about ₹1.47 lakh to ₹5.45 lakh), depending on the hospital, room category and type of procedure.

A typical estimate for the Fontan procedure in Chennai is around $2,850 (about ₹2.70 lakh). What you pay depends mainly on your own case. If the repair is planned and your child needs only a short stay in intensive care, your bill is likely to be closer to $1,550 (about ₹1.47 lakh). It is likely to be nearer $5,750 (about ₹5.45 lakh) if the repair is more complex or done in stages, or your child needs a longer stay in intensive care.

When comparing Chennai packages for the Fontan procedure, check whether each quote includes:

• Surgeon and anaesthetist fees
• Operating theatre or procedure room
• Paediatric intensive care days
• Pre-operative scans and catheter studies
• Hospital stay and room category
• Medicines and consumables
• Follow-up visits before you fly home

The Fontan procedure is generally the third planned operation for children born with only one working pumping chamber, sending blood from the lower body straight to the lungs without passing through the heart.

The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne outlines a staged plan for single ventricle conditions such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome: a Norwood operation or a shunt in the first days or weeks of life, a Glenn operation at about three months and a Fontan at about four to five years.

A catheter test generally comes first, and during surgery the vein from the lower body is joined to the lung arteries, frequently with a tube, sometimes with a small hole made to ease pressure.

The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne makes clear that the Fontan circulation can affect other organs over time, including the gut (protein-losing enteropathy), liver, kidneys and lungs.

Exercise capacity is generally lower than in other children, and lifelong specialist follow-up is needed.

Fitness to fly: the UK Civil Aviation Authority's medical guidance suggests 10 to 14 days after heart or chest surgery before flying, so a stay of around three weeks in Chennai is realistic.

In Chennai, the price of the Fontan procedure is generally built from these parts:

• Pre-surgery assessment: echo, CT or cardiac MRI, and any catheter test.
• Theatre and perfusion: for operations that can last many hours.
• Paediatric cardiac ICU: normally the main source of variation.
• Child: generally aged four to five.
• Catheter test: prior to surgery.
• Intensive care: after surgery.
• Follow-up: lifelong heart, liver and gut checks.

Children's heart surgery costs depend on the child's age and condition, the intensive care stay and any further operations, so complex cases in Chennai can cost more than the range above.

Children's heart surgery depends on a paediatric cardiac surgeon, a perfusion team and a paediatric cardiac intensive care unit working together, so check for all three in Chennai.

Hospitals in Chennai can hold NABH accreditation, India's national quality standard set by a board of the Quality Council of India and itself accredited by ISQua, and the NABH website shows whether an accreditation is still valid.

Joint Commission International (JCI) accredits a number of Indian hospitals, and its public directory lets you check whether a Chennai hospital on your shortlist is currently included.

If a Chennai hospital runs an international patient service, ask whether it can provide the invitation letter for your e-Medical visa and arrange airport collection, interpreters and nearby accommodation.