VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery) Lobectomy cost abroad (2026)
VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery) Lobectomy starts from about $16,900 in India. Typical hospital prices from 72 price records across 9 countries. Pick a country to see its hospitals, surgeons and visa steps.
- 5 nights in hospital
- 35 days to full recovery
- 9 countries compared
- 93% reported success rate
Prices are hospital price ranges from our database, not a final quote. How we check
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Hospital package = typical price range from 8 hospital prices.
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Get 3 real quotes for this estimateTop hospitals for VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery) Lobectomy by country
How we rankRanked by accreditation, patient rating and review count, then price.
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1 Indraprastha Apollo HospitalNew Delhi · India · ISO 9001 · JCI · NABH · ★ 4.9From$12,520from $12,520 2 doctors listed JCI accredited -
2 Bumrungrad InternationalBangkok · Thailand · HA · ISO 9001 · JCI · ★ 4.8From$14,740from $14,740 JCI accredited -
3 Asan Medical CenterSeoul · South Korea · ISO 9001 · JCI · KOIHA · ★ 4.8From$24,480from $24,480 21 doctors listed JCI accredited -
4 Cleveland Clinic Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi · United Arab Emirates · DHA · DOH · JCI · ★ 4.7From$27,970from $27,970 JCI accredited -
5 Mount Elizabeth HospitalSingapore · Singapore · ISO 9001 · JCI · ★ 4.7From$34,240from $34,240 JCI accredited -
6 Acıbadem Maslak HospitalIstanbul · Turkey · ISO 9001 · JCI · ★ 4.6From$18,760from $18,760 JCI accredited
Get the VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery) Lobectomy cost & planning report
A free PDF built from today's listed prices. Keep it, print it or send it to your family on WhatsApp.
What's inside
- Prices by country, city and hospital, compared with home
- All-in trip budget: treatment, stay, food, visa
- Day-by-day timeline and recovery milestones
- Visa summary, preparation checklist and questions to ask
- Treatment (typical listed price) 91% $16,900
- Accommodation 5% $850
- Food 3% $500
- Local transport 1% $150
- Visa fees 1% $150
- Estimated total$18,500
Source: medcasts.com · prices as of May 2026
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Top VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery) Lobectomy surgeons
VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery) Lobectomy prices by country
Typical hospital price per country, from 72 price records in the Medcasts database.
What a hospital quote usually includes
- Surgeon, anaesthesia and operating room
- About 5 nights in hospital, with nursing care
- Routine tests and medicines during the stay
- Free Medcasts coordinator, visa letter help and airport pickup arrangements
- Not included: flights and hotel after discharge
Every quote we send lists what is and isn't included, line by line.
Your recovery plan
- Days 1-3Chest drain in place; walking and breathing exercises start early.
- Days 4-7Drain removed and discharge once air leak settles. Pain controlled with tablets.
- Weeks 2-4Gradual increase in walking; avoid lifting; breathlessness improves.
- Months 2-3Most return to near-normal activity; the lung adapts slowly to the missing lobe.
Medical visa times by destination
Visa processing time by destination
We send the hospital invitation letter within 24 hours of your decision. Check your visa
About VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery) Lobectomy
Under general anaesthesia with a tube that lets one lung be deflated, the surgeon makes two to four small cuts between the ribs and inserts a thoracoscope camera and instruments. The vessels, airway and lung tissue of one lobe are divided and removed, along with sampling of lymph nodes. Robotic-assisted VATS is a variation of the same approach.
Compared with open surgery, VATS usually means less pain and a shorter hospital stay, with cancer results that are comparable in suitable early-stage tumours. Outcomes depend on stage, lung function, other health conditions and the quality of lymph node sampling. Pathology may lead to a recommendation for chemotherapy or immunotherapy afterwards.
Plan for about five days in hospital and several weeks before returning to normal activity. Breathing exercises and walking begin quickly. Bring CT, PET and lung function reports. Check with the airline before flying and keep pathology results and your operation note to share with your oncologist at home.
Usually a good fit if
- Early-stage lung cancer confined to one lobe without spread to distant sites.
- A localised benign or infected lung area not controlled by medicine.
- Adequate lung function to tolerate the loss of a lobe.
- Fit for general anaesthesia.
May need to wait if
- Poor lung function that would leave too little reserve.
- Cancer involving structures that cannot be removed with a lobectomy, or spread to distant organs.
- Recent heart attack or unstable heart disease needing optimisation.
- Extensive scarring around the lung from earlier infection or surgery, where open surgery may be safer.
How to prepare
- Bring CT chest, PET scan, biopsy results and brain imaging if requested, so the stage is confirmed.
- Have lung function tests and a heart assessment; these predict whether you can safely lose a lobe.
- Stop smoking well before surgery and practise breathing exercises as taught.
- Review blood thinners and inhalers with your doctor; do not change them yourself.
- Plan to stay near the hospital until the drain is out and you are cleared to fly.
Questions to ask your surgeon
- Is VATS suitable for my tumour, or might the surgeon convert to an open operation?
- How often does your team convert VATS to open surgery?
- How many lymph nodes will be sampled, and why?
- Could a smaller segmentectomy be an option for me?
- How long will I have a chest drain, and what pain control is used?
- What follow-up scans do I need, and can they be done at home?
Red flags when comparing hospitals
- No full staging with PET and CT before surgery for cancer.
- A surgeon who rarely performs VATS lobectomy.
- No lung function testing before recommending surgery.
- No intensive care or chest drain management capability.
Questions about VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery) Lobectomy abroad
Which country is cheapest for VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery) Lobectomy?
The lowest typical hospital prices are in India ($16,873), Thailand ($19,878), Turkey ($25,638), out of 9 countries we compare.
How long will I stay in hospital for VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery) Lobectomy?
Most patients spend about 5 nights in hospital. Full recovery takes about 35 days; your surgeon will tell you when you are fit to fly home.
Is VATS less painful than open surgery?
Usually yes, because the ribs are not spread, and recovery is often faster. Some chest wall numbness or ache can persist for weeks.
Will I be breathless afterwards?
Some breathlessness is common for weeks to months, especially with pre-existing lung disease. Exercises help.
Can I fly home?
Usually after the drain is out and a chest X-ray is clear, often one to three weeks. Confirm with the surgeon.
Will I need more treatment after surgery?
Depending on stage and pathology, chemotherapy or targeted therapy may be advised.