maestro rechargeable system Cost in Chennai, India

The cost of the Maestro Rechargeable System in Chennai typically ranges from $510 to $4,900 USD (about ₹48,400 to ₹4.65 lakh), depending on the hospital, room category and type of procedure.

A typical estimate for the Maestro Rechargeable System in Chennai is around $1,650 (about ₹1.57 lakh). What you pay depends mainly on your own case. If the operation is planned and you need only a short stay in neuro intensive care, your bill is likely to be closer to $510 (about ₹48,400). It is likely to be nearer $4,900 (about ₹4.65 lakh) if the surgery is more complex, special navigation or monitoring equipment or an implanted device is used, or you need longer in intensive care.

When comparing Chennai packages for the Maestro Rechargeable System, check whether each quote includes:

• Surgeon and anaesthetist fees
• Operating theatre or procedure room
• Neuro-intensive care days
• Implants or devices used
• Hospital stay and room category
• Medicines and consumables
• Follow-up visits before you fly home

The Maestro Rechargeable System is a weight-loss implant that interrupts vagus nerve signals near the stomach; it gained US approval in 2015, but we could not find it offered anywhere in India.

Dr Arya Sharma, an obesity specialist, explains that keyhole surgery places two electrodes on the vagal nerves, wired to a rechargeable pack under the skin that switches the nerve signals off in cycles during waking hours, and the settings can be altered or paused.

The US FDA approved it in January 2015 for adults with a BMI of 40 to 45, or 35 to 39.9 with a related condition.

Average weight loss was approximately 10 to 15%, and the main trial results were weaker than expected.

Compare its evidence with established operations such as sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass before considering it.

Fitness to fly: the UK Civil Aviation Authority's medical guidance gives about a week after neurosurgery as the minimum, and your neurosurgeon may want you to stay longer.

In Chennai, the price of the Maestro Rechargeable System is generally built from these parts:

• Pre-surgery imaging: MRI, CT or an angiogram.
• Theatre, navigation and monitoring: equipment used during the operation.
• Neuro-ICU: the number of days needed afterwards.
• Availability: unconfirmed in India.
• Keyhole surgery: to place electrodes.
• Charging and adjustment: ongoing.
• Follow-up: with a bariatric team.

We found no evidence that this device is currently offered in Chennai or elsewhere in India, so treat any costing with caution and ask the hospital to confirm the exact device.

Neurosurgery in Chennai's larger hospitals comes with neuro-intensive care, and some units also use imaging or nerve monitoring during surgery, so ask what your operation will include.

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.

Chennai International Airport, at Meenambakkam on the south-western side of the city, handles direct international flights, and most hospitals are a road journey away, so check the transfer time when you book.