Skull Base Surgery Cost in Bangalore, India

Skull base surgery removes tumours and other growths on the underside of the brain, such as pituitary tumours, often through the nose using an endoscope.

University College London Hospitals (UCLH) explains that endoscopic pituitary surgery reaches the tumour through the nose using a camera. It takes about one to two hours, and most people stay two to three days.

A small fat graft from the tummy or thigh may be used to seal the area.

UCLH reports that about 5 in 100 need treatment for fluid (CSF) leaking from the nose, about 1 in 10 need hormone replacement, and intense thirst from diabetes insipidus is often temporary.

It advises no nose blowing for six weeks and six to eight weeks off work, with an MRI at about four months. Report clear watery fluid from the nose or a salty taste.

Flying home: the UK Civil Aviation Authority's guidance for doctors gives about 7 days after neurosurgery as a minimum, and the neurosurgeon may ask you to wait longer depending on the operation.

The cost of skull base surgery in Bangalore typically ranges from $6,800 to $12,750 USD (about ₹6.45 lakh to ₹12.09 lakh), depending on the hospital, room category and type of procedure.

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 $6,800 (about ₹6.45 lakh). It is likely to be nearer $12,750 (about ₹12.09 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 Bangalore packages for skull base surgery, 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

Bangalore hospitals usually put together an estimate for skull base surgery from these elements:

• Pre-operative imaging: MRI, CT or angiography.
• Theatre and navigation equipment: including neuro-monitoring where used.
• Neuro-intensive care: days in a neuro ICU after surgery.
• Approach: through the nose or open.
• Tumour type and size: the complexity.
• Intensive care: after major surgery.
• Hormone tests: before and after surgery.

Brain and spine surgery costs depend on the complexity, intensive care stay and any devices, so complex cases can cost more than the range above.

Neurosurgery in Bengaluru is offered at multi-speciality hospitals with neuro-intensive care, neuro-imaging and neuro-monitoring, so ask which of these will be used for your operation.

Accreditation by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH), part of the Quality Council of India, is India's main hospital quality standard, and the NABH website shows whether a Bangalore hospital's accreditation is current.

Some Bengaluru hospitals also hold Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation, an international standard, and JCI's public directory lets you confirm a hospital's status before you book.

If the hospital has an international patient desk, ask it about the hospital letter for your e-Medical visa, airport transfers, interpreters and accommodation close to the hospital.