New Dawn Life Care
Heart surgery

Mending the engine of life: a guide to heart bypass surgery (CABG) in India

For patients from the UK, Canada and Australia who have been told they need a coronary artery bypass: what waiting and private surgery look like at home, the surgical options in India, what the evidence really says, and how to plan the trip and the flight home.

New Dawn Life Care editorial team · 6 min read
An older man in a cardigan walks along a sunlit garden path beside a physiotherapist in navy scrubs
Illustrative image
In this guide
  1. If your symptoms change
  2. Waiting times at home
  3. Going private at home
  4. Bypass surgery in India
  5. Surgical techniques explained
  6. What it costs
  7. The journey, step by step
  8. Flying home safely
  9. Questions to ask
  10. Is it right for you?

Few diagnoses feel as frightening as severe coronary artery disease. When an angiogram shows that the arteries feeding your heart are badly narrowed, "poor health" stops being abstract. Every twinge in your chest, every breathless climb up the stairs, becomes a reminder that your heart is short of oxygen.

For many people with blockages in several arteries, the recommended treatment is a coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG. The surgeon creates new routes for blood to flow around the blockages, using blood vessels taken from elsewhere in your body.

If you are waiting for planned bypass surgery in the UK, Canada or Australia, or facing a large private bill, this guide explains your options: what the wait and private surgery look like at home, how bypass surgery in India works, what the evidence says about different techniques, and how to plan your recovery and the flight home safely.

If your symptoms change, act at home first

If you have chest pain that is new, worse, or happens at rest, call your local emergency number. Don't wait for a planned operation, here or abroad. Tell your cardiologist if your symptoms change while you're on a waiting list, as it may change how urgently you're treated.

Waiting times at home

Public systems sort heart surgery by urgency. People who need surgery quickly are treated quickly. Planned (elective) bypass surgery can take longer:

  • Australia: the median wait for coronary artery bypass surgery in public hospitals was 19 days in 2024-25, one of the shortest of any planned procedure.1
  • Canada: the national benchmark for bypass surgery is 182 days, with more urgent cases treated sooner. Waits vary by province.2
  • UK: the NHS standard is 18 weeks from referral to treatment for planned care, but waits for cardiac surgery vary between hospitals.3

Even when the wait is reasonable, living with blocked arteries is stressful. Many people feel anxious, limit what they do, and worry about what might happen before their operation.

Going private at home

Private bypass surgery avoids the queue, but it is expensive:

  • UK: private bypass surgery typically costs about £15,000 to £25,000, and all-inclusive packages in London can cost considerably more.4
  • Australia: a private bypass costs about AU$48,000 including hospital and specialist fees, before rebates.5
  • USA: prices before insurance typically range from about $57,000 to $150,000.6
  • Canada: bypass surgery is publicly funded and private options are very limited.

Bypass surgery in India

India's large private hospitals perform a high volume of heart surgery, for patients from India and abroad. Many are accredited by NABH, India's national hospital accreditation board, and some also hold international accreditation such as JCI.7 You can check a hospital's current status directly with the accrediting body.

Experience matters in heart surgery, as it does in other operations. Busy cardiac centres in India have surgical teams who perform bypass operations every week. It's entirely reasonable to ask how many bypass operations your surgeon performs each year, and what the team's results are.

A doctor shows an older couple a diagram of the heart while explaining the operation
Illustrative image

It's reasonable to ask any surgeon, anywhere: how many of these operations do you do each year, and what are your results?

Surgical techniques explained

On-pump and off-pump ("beating heart") surgery

In traditional bypass surgery, the heart is temporarily stopped and a heart-lung machine takes over pumping and oxygenating the blood. In off-pump surgery, the surgeon steadies just the area being worked on while the heart keeps beating.

Surgeons in India have wide experience of both. The evidence is more balanced than some marketing suggests. A large international trial found similar results after five years with either approach. Another large trial found better five-year survival with the traditional on-pump method, and off-pump surgery can mean fewer arteries are bypassed.8 9 Off-pump surgery may suit some patients better than others. Ask your surgeon which technique they recommend for you, and why.

Minimally invasive options

Most bypass operations are done through an incision down the breastbone (sternotomy). For some patients who need only one or two arteries bypassed, certain hospitals offer minimally invasive bypass through a smaller cut between the ribs, and a few offer robotic-assisted techniques. These aren't suitable for everyone, and the surgeon will advise based on your angiogram.

Which blood vessels are used

Surgeons use arteries from inside the chest wall (the internal mammary arteries), sometimes an artery from the forearm (the radial artery), and veins from the leg. An internal mammary artery connected to the main artery on the front of the heart is known for staying open especially well over many years. How many arterial grafts make sense depends on your anatomy and overall health, so ask your surgeon what they plan to use and why.

What it costs

Typical prices before insurance or rebates, converted to US dollars at approximate exchange rates. Rough figures only: your hospital's written estimate is what counts.
WhereTypical priceAbout (US$)
USA$57,000 to $150,000$100,000
UK (private)£15,000 to £25,000 or more$26,000+
Australia (private)About AU$48,000$31,200
CanadaPublicly fundedn/a
IndiaUS$5,000 to $10,000$7,500

The difference comes mainly from lower running costs in India, such as staff salaries, buildings and day-to-day overheads, plus favourable exchange rates. Remember to add flights, about three weeks of accommodation for you and a companion, a local attendant, and meals and transport. The calculator on our home page gives an all-in estimate by country.

The journey, step by step

  1. Share your caseRequest a case review. We'll arrange a secure way to receive your angiogram, echocardiogram, ECG and letters. Nothing is shared with a hospital without your consent.
  2. Surgeon opinions and a written estimateWith your consent, we share your records with suitable hospitals in India. They typically reply within about 48 hours with an opinion from the cardiac team and a written estimate. Many can arrange a video consultation with the surgeon.
  3. Visa and travelIf you decide to go ahead, we help with the hospital's invitation letter and your e-Medical visa, which is often processed in about 3 to 5 business days. We plan flights, ask the airline for wheelchair assistance if you need it, and arrange accommodation near the hospital for you and your companion.10
  4. Arrival and pre-operative checksYou're met on arrival. Pre-operative tests, such as blood tests, scans of the arteries in your neck, and breathing tests, usually take place within a day or two.
  5. Surgery and intensive careA bypass operation typically takes about 3 to 5 hours. You'll wake in a cardiac intensive care unit, where many patients have the breathing tube removed within hours. The physiotherapy team will usually help you sit up and start moving within a day or two.
  6. Recovery in IndiaA hospital stay of about a week is common, followed by around 10 to 14 days of recovery nearby, with physiotherapy and breathing exercises. Your surgeon checks your recovery and confirms when you're fit to fly.
  7. Home, with your recordsBefore you leave, we collect your operative notes, discharge summary and medication plan for your cardiologist and GP at home, and help arrange remote follow-up where the hospital offers it.

Flying home safely

UK aviation guidance: don't fly for at least 10 days after uncomplicated coronary bypass surgery, and not until you can manage normal daily activities.11 Your surgeon decides when you're fit to fly, and it may be later if you had complications.

Long flights also raise the risk of blood clots after surgery. Ask your surgeon about blood-thinning medication, compression stockings and moving around during the flight. Tell your travel insurer and airline about your surgery, and consider an aisle seat or extra legroom.

Questions to ask before you decide

  • How many bypass operations does the surgeon perform each year, and what are the team's results?
  • Will the surgery be on-pump or off-pump, and why is that recommended for me?
  • How many arteries will be bypassed, and which blood vessels will be used as grafts?
  • Is the hospital currently accredited, and by whom?
  • What exactly does the estimate include: surgery, intensive care, hospital stay, medicines, rehabilitation? What could change it?
  • How long should I expect to stay in hospital and in India, and when will I be fit to fly?
  • What is the plan for blood-clot prevention and for follow-up with my cardiologist at home?

Is it right for you?

Heart surgery abroad isn't the right choice for everyone. If your condition is unstable, or your doctors advise against travelling, stay with your team at home. Every operation carries risks, including bleeding, infection, stroke and heart rhythm problems, and you'll need follow-up and cardiac rehabilitation when you return. Talk to your own cardiologist about whether travelling for surgery is sensible for you.

If, after weighing it up, you'd like to explore it, the first step is simply to ask. We'll get opinions and written estimates from cardiac teams in India and explain your options plainly. Then you decide, with no pressure either way.

Explore your options, with no obligation

Request a case review. A coordinator will reply by email, and with your consent we'll ask cardiac teams in India for their opinion and a written estimate.

Request a case review
New Dawn Life Care editorial teamWe write plain, sourced guides for people considering medical treatment in India. New Dawn Life Care is a patient coordination service, not a hospital or healthcare provider.

Medical disclaimer. This article is general information, not medical advice. It does not replace advice from your own cardiologist or a cardiac surgeon, who can assess your individual situation. Prices and waiting times are indicative, drawn from the sources below, and can change. Last reviewed 4 October 2026.

Sources

  1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Elective surgery waiting times, 2024-25.
  2. Canadian Institute for Health Information, Wait times for bypass surgery.
  3. NHS England, Referral to treatment waiting times statistics.
  4. PrivateHealth.co.uk, Private heart bypass operation cost.
  5. Compare the Market, Bypass surgery cost in Australia.
  6. CureMeAbroad, Heart bypass cost abroad: compare by country (2026).
  7. National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers, nabh.co.
  8. Lamy A, et al. Five-year outcomes after off-pump or on-pump coronary-artery bypass grafting (CORONARY trial). New England Journal of Medicine, 2016.
  9. Shroyer AL, et al. Five-year outcomes after on-pump and off-pump coronary-artery bypass (ROOBY-FS). New England Journal of Medicine, 2017.
  10. Government of India, e-Visa (including e-Medical visa); processing times from my1health.
  11. UK Civil Aviation Authority, Cardiovascular disease: guidance for health professionals on fitness to fly.

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