Lung Transplant Cost in India

You will be surprised to know that not only people having residence in India are concerned about the price of lung transplant in India. But foreigners are also looking for lung transplant price in India. And why they will not when they can avail cost-effective transplant for both double lung transplant cost in India and single lung transplant cost in India? Do you know, how much is lungs replacement cost in India as compared to western countries? You will be astounded to know that lung replacement cost in India for both the single lung transplant cost in India and double lung transplant cost in India is one-tenth of the price in western countries like the United Kingdom, the United States of America and other foreign countries.

Apart from lungs operation cost in India, we know there might be various questions coming to mind like why lung transplant is done? Is there is an alternative to lung transplant? where I can get affordable lung replacement cost in India? and more. We understand that how important is to avail answers to these queries when it comes to health as you need to be 100% sure, before taking any step. You do not need to worry anymore, neither you need to visit numerous webpage or read health articles. Here, you are going to get the answers you are looking for. Let us explore important things related to lungs and lung transplant. So that you can make the right decision hassle-freely. 

When any organ stops functioning properly and fails because of pulmonary disease; doctors prefer organ transplant to add years to a patient's life span and improve health conditions. The same happens in the case of a lung transplant, where a diseased or failing lung is replaced by a healthy lung of the matched donor by a surgical procedure. The lung transplant can be done either for single or double lungs. Thus the single lung transplant cost in India and double lung transplant cost in India differs. Lung transplant is the only option left when medications and treatment fail to treat lung disease and improve functioning. 

Wondering, what happens when lungs did not function properly? So when an individual has a damaged or diseased lung, it will become difficult for the body to receive the oxygen required for survival. Thus vital functions like a gas exchange, removal of carbon dioxide from the body, metabolism and other functions will get affected. Pulmonary diseases like scarring of the lungs (pulmonary fibrosis), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema, cystic fibrosis and high blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension) are among the common causes of lungs failure.

Many people step back thinking about complications. But do you know there are many medical procedures or surgical procedure, where chances of complication remain? The medical practitioner tends to take all precautionary steps for a safe procedure. So do not overthink about the complications instead focus on the bright side of the lung transplant, i.e. improved health conditions, quality life with added years of lifespan. Let us know more about lung replacement.

Do you know, not all patients having health condition of a diseased or failing lung can have a lung transplant? Yes, that's right; only those patients meeting the eligibility criteria can have a lung transplant. While those patients who are not eligible for lungs transplant are:

• Patients who have a medical condition of active infection as things can get worse after the transplant operation.
• Patients who had a recent medical history of cancer.
• Also, the patients who are having a serious disease of heart, kidney and liver.
• Apart from the patients having serious health issues, individual who is not willing to make changes to lifestyle like quitting smoking or alcohol consumption. As the lung will be again unhealthy. Thus, lung transplant should be done in potential patients instead, the one who does not values life.
• After a lung transplant, extra care is a must thus it is important to have family members or friends to take care of the patient post the medical procedure. Thus if no one is there to care or support the patient, the transplant is going to be unsuccessful for survival.

Do you know that even the best possible matched organ can be rejected by the body? Yes, this can happen. Wondering why this happens? Well, when any of the foreign substance that enter the body, our immune system gets activate and attacks the foreign substance. So there are possibilities that the body might reject your new lung. And the risk of rejection is high soon after the transplant operation.

Apart from this, if we talk about lung availability for transplant. It is not something easily available, which also affects the price of lung transplant in India. As it might take weeks, months and even a year to get matched lungs for the transplant. But the preparation for the successful transplant begins before. But unfortunately, some people are not able to receive the transplant and die as there are fewer donors as compared to patients that require the transplants and also among it only few reaches timely. After removal of lungs from the dead person, the lungs need to be transplanted in the patient body within 4 to 6 hours. Apart from this, the duration of the lung transplant surgery is too long depending on the time and complexity. It generally takes between 6 and 8 hours for a single-lung transplant and between 8 to 12+ hours for a double-lung transplant. Other complications like infection and visible side effects like facial hair, weight gain or stomach issue due to anti-rejection drugs could also occur. 

Depending on the lung disease or lobes of the lungs failed, various types of transplant are done: Heart-Lung Transplant - Some of the patients face life-threatening heart and breathing issues. Thus to improve the health conditions, both the vital organs: the heart - for blood circulation and lungs - for respiration are replaced from organs of the same person. Usually, heart and lungs replacement cost in India together costs high when compared to only lung transplant price in India. As there is a different cost for the heart, which is around USD 50000- 75000 and different lung transplant cost in India, which is around 45000-70000 USD. Single Lung Transplant - Single lung transplant is not more common as compared to double lung transplant. However, do you know that person can also survive with 1 lung? That might seem unbelievable, but this is true that a person can have a pretty normal life even with 1 lung and the medical term for it is pneumonectomy. Also, doctors believe and also studies had proved that 1 lung can deliver enough oxygen and could remove enough carbon dioxide to live a healthy life. The lungs operation cost in India for single lobe as compared to double is less costly.

• Double Lung Transplant  - We know that how the world has suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, most of us are aware that how badly the Corona Virus tends to affect the pulmonary system of the person. Also, on the one hand when the scientists were working day and night for the cure of this deadly disease. In this critical time, not one but many patients were waiting for the lungs transplants. Also, double-lung transplant surgery proves helpful in patients suffering from advanced chronic obstructive lung disease. Lungs operation cost in India for both right and left lobe is affordable as compared to foreign country and costs between 20 - 25 Lakhs. 
• Bilateral Sequential Lung Transplant - When both lungs does not function properly and patient suffers organ failure as no medication or treatment can treat the diseased lungs. Then, both the diseased or failed lungs are required to be replaced using surgical transplantation procedure. But when the transplantation procedure for both the lungs is done one at a time, it is termed as Bilateral sequential lung transplant or BSLT. So basically, in this surgical procedure, the en-bloc technique is replaced through median sternotomy, which is performed with a trans-sternal bilateral anterolateral thoracotomy also termed as ‘clamshell incision’. So basically, transverse sternothoracotomy allows the surgeon to get extensive exposure to both pleural spaces. But this procedure does also have drawbacks as wider opening causes more pain and complications like bleeding, risk of infection, etc. Thus it is advised to choose a less invasive medical procedure. However, the average lung transplant cost in India for bilateral sequential lung transplant also reaches above 20 Lakhs.

Types of lung transplant procedure is one of the factors determining lung transplant price in India. However other factors like city opted for lungs replacement cost in India, surgeon cost, lungs costs, medications, hospital, medication also determines the overall lung replacement cost in India. 

Some might know and some might be surprised that science and technology made artificial lung possible. For many patients, it's a ray of hope and for those people who had heard about the same for the first time; numerous thoughts and questions might have arisen. So following the successful development of the heart-lung machine, experts developed ECMO, which is Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation using membrane oxygenator. As per the experts, developing artificial lungs as compared to the mechanical heart was tough as lungs are more complex and consists of convoluted network air sacs known as alveoli, which are responsible for gaseous exchange. However, on the other hand, a mechanical heart is just a pump that circulates blood in the entire body.

Artificial lungs as compared to the price of lung transplant in India is less costly but are expensive as compared to other procedures. Generally, an artificial lung, which is a prosthetic device is used as BTT (Bridge to lung transplant) in patients, those who are battling for life and requires healthy lungs for survival at earliest. Until a healthy donor lung is available and here artificial lungs does plays a vital role. Research is still going on for better development of artificial lungs. Also, the latest development is done using 380 micron wide hollow fibres that helps to stimulate the function of alveoli.