How has the low Heart Surgery cost in India attracted the foreign heart patients!

Instead of going “fishing” for patients, natives of foreign countries could go for a “donor tour”. Yes, we would proudly say that India is filled with lots and lots of “Big hearted donors”. One will get a whole - hearted friend to take care of you even after surgery over here in India. This is the sole reason for people flying from majority of Asia and Africa. Heart surgery in India cost is lower, compared to other nations, with competent professionals in a properly trained and well - equipped facility. While India is considered a developing nation on one hand, it offers world class medical facilities at an affordable price, such that it even attracts medical tourism to the nation.

A Common Cardiac procedure in India is angioplasty, where “stents” are handled in an expert way and they are successfully implanted into the coronary artery. The price of stents falls below INR 30,000 a piece followed by government order. It has become extremely affordable for stent users from February, 2017. 

This will be a best analogy for this moment, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras stood first among 20 other branches with its world class instruments and extraordinary professionals. Yes, all the high quality latest treatments with expertise advice have been able to build trust among Indian doctors and this made heart surgery in India cost to go down and successful cases of heart surgery see a boom. Also, this can be stated as a possible reason for the foreign patients to begin trusting Indian medical facilities and professionals more, while also reap benefits of the lower costs.

Other boons for foreign patients, arriving for heart surgeries in India:

• Accessible working staff and fluent English - speaking people
• No waiting lists
• Private and peaceful stay
• Dedicated staffs during your week stay
• Guided free tour and complement free translator

Comparisons reveal that heart surgery in India cost lower compared to Southeast Asia. The costs are 30% higher in any western country. The  English medium of communication also holds foreigners tight. This ensures that they are not misled and hence, they are able to vest greater trust in the system. 

Patients have an excellent facility of staying together with old medicine systems like yoga, ayurvedic and naturopathy systems to get better in a natural way. Chennai, “India’s health capital” offers super - speciality services with booming hospitals like Apollo, Billroth, Fortis etc. These private medical facilities and definitely, the entire private sector make sure that the customers are well accommodated. International customers have special options of “Zero - waiting time” for “no - time people”. This is a good option for those short on time, as they do not have to waste a lot of time either.

Many patients have quoted that, “Compared to global standards, our country’s medicine and surgeries cost are minuscule”. Basic coronary angiography, simple tests which use dyes and x-rays to get clear outline of inner coronary arteries costs 10,000 to 15,000/- when compared to 32,000/- in US. This makes a huge difference for plain folks and this lures foreigners to India.

Though Malaysia is known for its excellent medical tourism, they have a problem of “long waiting lists” and also “paucity of centres equipped for paediatricians”.

Yes, older and golden techniques have become rage worldwide to maintain longevity, natural beauty and positive vibe. The treasure from our ancestors has cure for common injuries to critical ailments.  Foreigners believe in gaining fresh and healthy breath from Kerala’s hot oil massage treatment and they call it as an “awesome spa experience”.

Apex heart Institute located at Ahmedabad has been a place of “Hope for Heart” with success ratio of 95%.  Heart surgeries are done at throwaway prices compared to US, Singapore and Thailand. 

Special counters, care and comfy accommodation uplift Indian medical service among internationals.

“Online job done” is a facility that enables one to search for his sole professional online and consult him for his surgery pre - hand to make the job easier.

All these things combined, have made heart surgery in India cost go down and India has eventually become a land for medical council. 

Selena Gomez may be the nudge needed for access to Kidney Transplant globally

Following Selena Gomez's kidney transplant, what we can learn from Global facts about Kidney diseases

The recent public expression of Selena Gomez's kidney disease journey brings to light not a celebrity plight but an underlying reflection of chronic diseases globally. The world has seen the life expectancy increase from 65 in 1990 to 72 years in 2013 (Global health Index), as death rates from infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases have fallen. But at the same time, there has been a global burden of chronic diseases such as heart and kidney failures, accounting for more than 32% of all deaths. 

'Mortality due to chronic kidney disease rose between 2005 and 2015 by 32% to 1·2 million deaths worldwide', says Donal O'Donoghue, President of the Renal Association. This degree of movement ranked the chronic kidney disease as second only to HIV and AIDs, highlighting how critical the global situation is. Despite the growing burden of chronic diseases, the global health economics indicates a massive disparity between the supply of needed healthcare providers and the demand of patients. 

While over 2 million patients receive treatment every year, it represents only 10% of the global demand. Of these numbers, a majority are treated in five developed countries of US, Japan, Germany, Brazil and Italy, with universal access to healthcare, but represent only 12% of the global kidney disease footprint. This aggregate demand is most pressing in middle and low-income countries, with restricted health care access, creating a substantial financial burden on people who need it. In another 112 countries worldwide, most people are unable to access any form of treatment. Thus, resulting in the death of over a million people annually from untreated kidney failure.

Realising the need for urgent action against this life-limiting disease, an upsurge of making healthcare available to all and empowering patients globally to overcome the constraints of location, time and budget is needed. Medical travel is our best solution to chronic problem statements like kidney disease. In today's globalised world, it will help us bridge the gap between the patients and healthcare providers. Countries like India, China, Thailand and Singapore are the one-stop destination for patients with restricted access due to infrastructure and budget constraints in their country.

India is a key medical travel destination in India owing to the quality of its healthcare provision with the cost-effective proposal:

Quality of Treatment: India has earned a reputation for its excellence in nephrology and urology advances over the years. Thousands of comprehensive kidney or renal transplants are performed in India every year.

Top Hospitals: The leading hospitals have NABH and JCI accreditation in India and specialise in conducting kidney transplant. The transplant is performed only by skilled surgeons. The quality of service and treatment provided at these clinics is as good as UK and US.

Cost Benefit: Kidney transplant in India costs about one-tenth of what it costs in the United States at a hospital with similar quality of service and medical treatment. The laparoscopic kidney transplant cost in India is around $14,500 in India versus  $3,00,000 in the US. Kidney transplant cost in India associated with open nephrectomy is approximately $12,500 in India. The price is less than 5 percent of what the same procedure costs in the US ($4,50,000).

India is the leading medical tourism destination in terms of volume as it is one of the highest quality and lowest cost medical tourism destinations according to the 2015 Medical Tourism Market Report.

Tips For Healthy Breastfeeding: Specific Dos and Don’ts [World Breastfeeding Week 2017 Special]

New mothers are often flooded with tons of advice when it comes to breastfeeding. This is especially true if you have become a mother for the first time.

The inflow of information from everywhere only makes you confused. Moreover, it gets all the more uncomfortable and embarrassing as people watch you breastfeed your baby and judge you for not doing it in the “best” way.

It is important for you to know that there is no best way to breastfeed your baby. The way you latch your baby while breastfeeding may not work well for another mother and vice versa. In addition, you baby may have a different feeding pattern than any other baby as some babies feed more frequently than others.

While these are independent factors that vary from one mother to the other (and also from one baby to another), there are specific dos and don’ts related to breastfeeding that applies to all mothers. Here is a specially-curated list of things that new mothers should remember before breastfeeding their infants.

Breastfeeding Dos

• Breastfeed the baby every two hours for the initial few weeks. Gradually reduce the frequency depending on your baby’s feeding pattern. Slowly one switches to on-demand feeding.

• Try to breastfeed the baby after you have a warm bath. This significantly improves the flow of breast milk.

• Before you breastfeed, make sure that your baby wears a clean and dry diaper.

• Establish a routine by feeding your baby at specific times every day.

• Keep yourself hydrated and preferable drink a glass of water or juice before you start to breastfeed.

• Consume a diet rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals to improve the quality of breast milk and make sure that your baby receives all the nutrients.

• Keep all breastfeeding accessories such as breast shields and breast pump sterilized.

• Always keep the areas around the nipple clean. Wash your hands and wipe the areas around the areola with the clean, damp cloth before latching on your baby.

Breastfeeding Don’ts

• Avoid eating anything spicy or with a strong flavor before you breastfeed as it may affect the taste of the breast milk. Babies can taste flavors and being very sensitive any unusual flavor or taste may alter their feeding habit.

• Do not take any medications or painkiller before you breastfeed.

• Never put just the nipple into the mouth of your baby as it will make the breastfeeding experience painful. Instead, put the areola so that the baby is able to latch properly.

• Never make the baby cry for a feed. Instead, try to identify the signs that indicate that your baby is hungry. Babies may lick lips, put their hand over their mouth, or push their tongue out when they feel hungry.

• Do not smoke during your lactation period.

• Abstain from caffeine and alcohol completely.

• Do not apply any ointment or cream around or over the areola and nipples. Even if you need to (as may be the case in cracked nipples) do clean the area thoroughly before latching your baby.

• Do not use feeding bottles, milk powder, infant formula, or another type of baby foods for at least first 6 months. Breastfeeding should be exclusive for first six months.

General Tip: To make breastfeeding experience easier for yourself and your baby, it is important to make sure that you start breastfeeding as soon as you deliver the baby. Remember, the more you will try to breastfeed the baby, the easier it’ll become for both of you. This will also help improve the production of breast milk.

Affordable Eye Surgery Cost in India: Cost Comparison

An increasing number of patients suffering from disorders, defects, and diseases of the eye are now choosing to travel overseas for affordable and quality eye surgery. Most often, such patients decide to combine their medical travel for eye surgery with a leisure trip to a destination chosen.

There are several countries around the world that receive thousands of medical tourists from abroad for eye surgery. Mexico, Turkey, the US, Thailand, South Korea, and India are some of the most popular countries for high-quality eye surgery.

When all these countries and other medical tourism destinations are compared, India emerges as one of the most reasonable options for medical travel. This is because the country not only offers low cost eye surgery, but the quality of treatment offered by the hospitals here is at par with any other leading eye hospital in the world.

This is true even in the case of best eye surgery hospitals in the Western countries such as the UK and the US. The infrastructure maintained at the best eye surgery hospitals in India is highly advanced with all the latest technology and services available under just one roof.

In addition, India is a perfect destination for patient who wish to undergo affordable eye surgery, but also want to visit a leisure destination to their city of choice. The leading medical tourism agencies in India offer attractive packages to patients planning to travel to India for a non-critical eye surgery procedure, but also plan to visit a leisure destination.

The best hospitals for eye surgery in India conduct all types of procedures for the treatment of different eye-related procedures. Some of the surgical procedures opted by medical tourists from around the world include glaucoma surgery, cataract surgery (phacoemulsification and femtosecond laser), intraocular lens placement, LASIK surgery, and surgery for squint correction.

The best eye surgery hospitals in India are accredited by both Joint Commission International (JCI) and National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH). These regulatory bodies monitor the performance and quality standards maintained at the hospital on a regular basis.

The following table compares the eye surgery cost in India and abroad:

When should you finally choose to undergo total knee replacement?

You have been advised total knee replacement and you are confused whether you should really undergo it right away. Thousands of people around the world probably face this dilemma every day.

You may look up the internet, read a few books, consult your family and friends, or take a second opinion about your diagnosis and line of treatment. But still, you are unsure of what decision you should actually take.

The best thing to do before deciding to undergo total knee replacement or not is to talk to yourself first. By personally assessing the condition of your knees, looking at the symptoms, and the discomfort that you have experienced for a certain duration, you will be able to tell whether it is worth undergoing a surgery to put yourself out of the misery.

Total knee replacement is a complex and a tedious procedure, mostly recommended to people suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee, accidental damage to the knee joint, or degenerative changes in the knee joint and surrounding cartilages. Osteoarthritis of the knee is the number one reason why people are required to undergo total knee replacement.

Even with people with osteoarthritis think twice about undergoing total knee replacement, They are concerned about the life after knee replacement. Improvement in pain after the surgery, recovery period, the cost of surgery, side effects of the surgery are some of the concerns that patients typically have.

Factors that indicate that total knee replacement in the solution

There is no single factor that indicates that you really need a knee replacement surgery. Instead, you need to assess a number of factors to figure out when it is time for you to undergo knee replacement.

The following are some of the indicators that suggest that you should decide to undergo knee replacement:

No relief from medications and injections: Medications and lubricating injections fail to work and do not result in any relief from chronic pain.

Failure of physical therapy: Chronic pain persists even after several sessions of physical therapy.

Knee deformation: The deformation of the knee joint in an indication of immediate medical attention. The knees may look bowed towards the outside or the inside.

Persistent pain: The the knee pain persists all the time, recurs frequently and affects you sitting, standing, walking, or running ability, then you may need to consider knee replacement.

Other indications: Morning stiffness in the knees, swollen knees, problems in sleeping at night, increase in knee pain during the rainy season, and knee stiffness after long duration activity.

Affordable IVF Treatment Cost in India Giving New Life To Couples

India is one of the most popular countries for infertility treatment. A major chunk of this popularity comes from the affordable in vitro fertilization or IVF treatment cost in India.

Millions of couples around the world suffer from infertility, rendering them unable to conceive successfully. IVF treatment in India is a popular infertility treatment option, preferred by hundreds of couples from abroad each year.

The best IVF clinics in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, and other metropolitan cities offer infertility treatment at the most reasonable cost. The affordable IVF treatment cost in India is one of the reasons why infertile couples planning to conceive a child travel thousands of miles to seek good quality treatment.

While IVF treatment cost in the US starts from around $14000 and $12000 in the UK, it starts from as low as $2500 in India. The same treatment may cost around $8000 in Singapore. Thus, a medical tourist from a Western country traveling to India for IVF treatment saves thousands of dollars.

The cost of IVF treatment in India, however, depends on several factors. Some of these factors include the following:

The quality of egg/sperms: Low quality of sperms or eggs retrieved from either of the partners may trigger the need for a good quality sperm or egg donor to makes IVF process a success. This may escalate IVF treatment cost in India.

Choice of city and hospital: The cost of IVF treatment in India varies from hospital to hospital and city to city.

Need for additional procedures: Sometimes additional procedures such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), frozen embryo transfer (FET) and testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) are required to make IVF treatment a success. This further adds to the cost.

Embryo freezing: Sometimes couples may choose to freeze a few healthy embryos for later use. This service can be availed at an additional cost. The frozen embryos can be used later in life whenever the couple plans to have a child next.

Doctor’s expertise: IVF experts in India who are highly experienced and skilled tend to cost a bit more than those who are new into the field of infertility treatment.

Health Care Tourism In India: Medmonks