Heart-Lung Transplant- Best Doctors, Hospitals & Cost of Treatment in India

Treatment overview

A heart-lung transplant is one of the most complex and rare operations in modern medicine, in which a patient's failing heart and both lungs are removed and replaced with a healthy heart-lung bloc from a single deceased donor. It is considered only when both organs have reached end-stage failure — most commonly due to severe pulmonary arterial hypertension, Eisenmenger syndrome, complex congenital heart disease, or advanced cystic fibrosis — and when all other medical and surgical options have been exhausted. The surgery is performed under general anaesthesia using cardiopulmonary bypass and typically takes six to eight hours. Recovery involves one to two weeks in the ICU, followed by several weeks on a transplant ward, with total hospital stay around four to six weeks. Patients require lifelong immunosuppressive medications and intensive long-term follow-up, but many experience a dramatic improvement in breathing capacity and quality of life.

Comprehensive Investigations

Estimated cost: ~$2,000 – $2,500

Typical tests for this treatment: 2D Echocardiography, Right heart catheterisation (pulmonary artery pressure measurement), CT chest (high-resolution), Pulmonary function tests (spirometry, DLCO), Cardiac MRI (if indicated), CBC, LFT, KFT, coagulation profile (PT/INR), Blood group and tissue typing (HLA), Viral serology — HIV, Hepatitis B & C, CMV, EBV, tuberculosis screening. Done in India before hospital admission. Cost varies with case complexity.

Treatment / Procedure estimate

Estimated cost in India: $60,000 – $100,000

Stay in India

Pre-procedure stay (outside hospital): ~7 days

Hospitalisation: ~35 days

Recovery period (outside hospital): ~21 days recommended

Total stay: approx 63 days

Usually Included in Hospital Package

• Full pre-transplant evaluation workup at hospital OPD
• Heart-lung transplant surgery including cardiopulmonary bypass
• ICU stay with ventilator support and continuous cardiac-pulmonary monitoring
• Transplant ward stay including physiotherapy and medication education
• Immunosuppressive medications during hospital stay
• Standard organ procurement and logistics costs
• Surgeon, anaesthesiologist, and transplant team fees
• Initial post-discharge follow-up consultations at transplant centre

Usually Not Included

• Travel and accommodation
• Visa processing and travel insurance
• Extended rehabilitation beyond the standard hospital stay
• Long-term immunosuppressive medications after discharge
• Complications requiring re-operation or prolonged ICU stay beyond package