A Life-Saving Choice: Why India is a Top Destination for Esophagectomy

Esophagectomy surgery

Esophagectomy is surgical intervention used to excise all or part of the esophagus which is the passageway food passes through the throat to the stomach. The excised area is typically substituted with a part of the stomach or in some cases a bit of the intestine through which food enters the digestive tract.

It is most commonly done on esophageal cancer, however, it can be done in the severe cases of Barrett esophagus with high-grade dysplasia, esophageal stricture or trauma.

Types of Esophagectomy

Transhiatal Esophagectomy (THE):

• Removal of the esophagus is done using the abdominal and neck incisions.
• No chest incision is made.

Transthoracic Esophagectomy (TTE):

• Includes chest and abdominal incisions.
• Common applications include middle/lower esophagus tumours.

Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy (MIE):

• Applies laparoscopic or robotic.
• Fewer complications, faster recovery, less pain.

Three-Field Esophagectomy:

• Incisions made in the neck, chest, and abdomen.
• Typically of large scale disease.

Indications

• Most common reason Esophageal cancer.
• Precancerous changes of the esophagus of Barrett.
• Extreme esophageal trauma or apertures.
• Rare cases of benign tumors.

Steps of the procedure 

• General anaesthesia is given.
• Incisions are made by surgeon (depending on approach type).
• Infected section of esophagus is excised.
• Stomach (or intestine) is restructured into a tube and linked to the rest of the esophagus.
• Lymph nodes can be removed as well as cancer is present.
• Incisions are sewn up and patient is taken to intensive care to be monitored.

Factors Affecting Esophagectomy surgery cost in India

The aspects influencing the price of esophagectomy surgery in India:

Type of Surgical Procedure

• The conventional open surgeries (transhiatal or transthoracic) tend to be cheaper.
• Robbotic-assisted surgery and Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy (MIE) are more expensive. 

Type of Hospital & Location

• Government/public hospitals frequently are much cheaper.
• Metro hospitals such as Apollo, Fortis tend to be more expensive in a private hospital. 
• The prices vary within the cities- as an example, Hyderabad can provide surgery at relatively lower prices considering regional price and healthcare facilities. 

Surgeon Experience/Skills

• Surgeons or surgical oncologists who are highly experienced might have higher price.
• Such premium price is also likely to be projected by hospitals that have famous experts. 

Ancillary Costs

The surgery is not the only cost that can accumulate fast:

• Hospital stay & ICU
• Anaesthesia
• Diagnostics: endoscopy, labs, etc. may be more expensive (Diagnostics).
• Medications: Post op drugs and consumables can provide extra expense.

Cancer and Treatment Complexity at Stage

• The later-stage cancer in the esophagus usually involves neoadjuvant (pre-surgery) or adjuvant (post-surgery) treatment such as chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, etc. which is an additional expense. 
• There is also the extra testing or repetition of imaging in the course of treatment, which adds to the overall cost. 

Type of Room and Accommodation in the Hospital

• The selected room can be an individual or private room, which means that the price is much higher in contrast to general wards or shared room. 

Problems and Postoperative Complications

• Such complications as pneumonia, anastomotic leak, or renal failure that can often occur postoperative can add high costs.
• In one study the costs may increase by 40 to more than 100 percent as a result of such complications depending on the severity. 
• Less invasive methods (e.g., MIE) can lead to reduced complications and therefore, perhaps to reduced cost in the long term. 

Medical Tourism Add-ons

• In the case of international patients, many of the other support services such as case management, language assistance, travel and accommodation are frequently integrated and come at an added cost.

Best hospitals for esophagectomy in India

• Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon
• Medanta-The Medicity, Gurgaon
• Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon
• Max Hospital, Saket

Top esophageal cancer surgeons in India

• Dr. Parveen Yadav
• Dr. Kunjahari Medhi
• Dr. Udgeath Dhir
• Dr. Harit Chaturvedi

Factors Affecting Affordable esophagectomy treatment in India

Factors that affect the affording cost of esophagectomy (esophageal surgery) treatment in India:

Low infrastructure and operating cost

• Compared to Western counties, India enjoys much lower rates of overheads in the hospital in terms of construction, equipment and manpower. This helps in that a large number of facilities can be able to provide a high-quality of care at a fraction of the cost. 

Well-trained Medical professionals

• Indian surgeons and oncologists are usually highly trained in and outside the country. Their experience coupled with their relatively low compensation needs make them make surgical charges more affordable. 

Medical Tourism stokes up competition

• International patients are drawn to India due to the reputation of quality but at low cost care. This competition makes hospitals provide cost effective packages and clear pricing. 

Location and Accreditation

• Treatment at the government or public hospitals is usually cheaper as a result of subsidies.
• Tier-2 cities or smaller towns tend to be less expensive than in the metropolitan markets. 
• Hospitals with accreditation tend to be costly in terms of operation which is reflected in the prices. 

Technique of Surgery and the Costs

• Transhiatal or transthoracic (Open surgery) operation is usually less expensive than the minimally invasive (laparoscopic/robotic) surgeries, which are associated with complex equipment and supplies. 
• Nonetheless, the minimal invasive surgeries may minimize hospitalization and complications, and the total cost may be decreased in certain situations. 

Surgeon Experience

• The patients can pay high prices to the most reputed surgeons. Less-experienced but competent surgeons or teams can be an alternative as it will help to save some money without a major impact on the outcomes. 

Auxiliary and Diagnostic Costs

• The pre and post-operative costs (imaging (CT, PET-CT), lab, anaesthesia, ICU, meds, and rehabilitation) quickly add up. The expense can be managed by controlling the level and the frequency of the diagnostics. 

Hospital Room Category and Duration of stay

• Instead of taking the more costly option of renting suites in general wards or shared rooms, it can save much on bills, such as consumables and bed fees. 

Managing Complications

• Prevention of post-surgery complications by preventive measures or minimally invasive procedures is able to circumvent the excessive cost increases.

Esophagectomy surgery in India with GetWellGo

GetWellGo is regarded as a leading supplier of healthcare services. We help our foreign clients choose the best treatment locations that suit their needs both financially and medically.

We offer:

• Complete transparency
• Fair costs.
• 24 hour availability.
• Medical E-visas
• Online consultation from recognized Indian experts.
• Assistance in selecting India's top hospitals for Esophagectomy surgery.
• Expert surgeon with a strong track record of success
• Assistance during and after the course of treatment.
• Language Support
• Travel and Accommodation Services
• Case manager assigned to every patient to provide seamless support in and out of the hospital like appointment booking
• Local SIM Cards
• Currency Exchange
• Arranging Patient’s local food