Heart Transplant Cost in Delhi

Heart transplant is a life-saving treatment wherein a diseased heart is replaced by a healthy one. 

Did you know that Dr. Christian Barnard performed the first human to human heart transplant in 1967 when the technology wasn’t much advanced?

Doctors advise heart transplants when other conservative medical treatments fail. Conditions like Cardiomyopathy, Congestive heart failure, and congenital heart disease may require a heart transplant. However, not all patients can undergo heart transplants due to health and age restrictions. 

The heart transplant cost in India ranges between USD 50000 to USD 65000. The pricing includes a hospital stay which is of 14 days and 20 days outside the hospital. Also, there is a waiting period of three weeks to three months depending on the availability of a donor. Then, there is pre-transplant work done by the best cardiac surgeons in India before the transplant takes place which includes blood and urine test, cardiopulmonary stress test, echocardiogram, abdominal ultrasounds, pulmonary function testing, etc. There are many best heart surgery hospitals in India that are internationally accredited and performs successful heart surgeries.

However, in the healthcare industry, the cost factor varies due to various factors:

Medical complexities: Every patient who undergoes a heart transplant, has different medical reasons. It could be a heart problem by birth, severe blockage accompanied by other problems or some patients have both heart and lung failure opting for transplant for both and many other reasons. In such cases, the cost has to be different for the procedure to take place. 

Geographic Variation: Cost of procedure also varies from where you want to get treated. In nations like US or UK, the cost is higher due to high per capita income, mass population under insurance coverage, etc. While the cost is comparatively low in countries like India, Singapore, etc. 

Hospital Variation: Choosing a hospital in a different country is a critical decision. People generally choose a hospital based on opinions they get from their friends, relatives, doctors or someone who has already been treated over there. In India, the cost of procedure varies according to the following factors:

• Government Hospitals: These institutes are run by the government and receive funds, subsidies from the government for their expenses, operational costs, infrastructure development, the salary of doctors and other medical staff. That’s why the cost of treatment is quite low in these institutions. Due to low treatment cost, there is a long queue of patients leading to longer waiting period. Also, these hospitals are not well-equipped to provide the latest techniques for treatment. 

Recommended: Best Hospitals for Heart Transplant in India

• Private Hospitals: Unlike Government hospitals, these private institutes acquire funds through their capital investment from the respective owners, shareholders, bank loans, and revenue from services provided for infrastructure development, hiring doctors, medical staff, and other staff. They organise health campaigns, and doctor talks, and do extensive marketing to get more number of patients leading to a higher cost of treatment. Private hospitals are further categorized into mid-level clinics and corporate hospitals. In mid-level clinics, the treatment cost is a bit low due to fewer facilities available. While in corporate hospitals that are equipped with the latest technologies, highly trained medical staff lead to a higher cost of treatment. 

There are various multi-specialty hospitals having their own center of excellence in different specialties. For instance, if one hospital might be excellent in cardiology, then the other one may excel in other departments, such as neurology or orthopedics. This factor also leads in cost variation. Therefore, one must get treated in a hospital having a center of excellence in the required specialty.

Conclusion:
In India, the cost of treatment is lower as compared to the other western countries such as US or UK. The cost also includes the cost of medications which the patient has to intake for at least one year for recovery and live a healthy life.