Liver transplant Cost in Singapore

On an average, Liver transplant in Singapore costs about USD$ 290000. Liver transplant in Singapore is available across many hospitals in different states.

The cost of Liver transplant in Singapore may differ from one medical facility to the other. The top hospitals for Liver transplant in Singapore covers all the expenses related to the pre-surgery investigations of the candidate. The Liver transplant cost in Singapore includes the cost of anesthesia, medicines, hospitalization and the surgeon's fee. Post-surgical complications, new findings and delayed recovery may have an impact on the total Liver transplant cost in Singapore.

There are several best hospitals for Liver transplant in Singapore. Some of the best hospitals for Liver transplant in Singapore include the following:

1. Mount Elizabeth Hospital
2. Parkway East Hospital
3. Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital
4. Gleneagles Hospital

After Liver transplant in Singapore, the patient is supposed to stay in guest house for another 50 days. This duration of stay is recommended to complete all the necessary follow-ups and control tests to ensure that the surgery was successful.

One of the topmost destinations for Liver transplant is Singapore. It has a variety of accredited hospital, affordable cost of treatment and some of the best medical fraternity. Some of the other destinations that are popular for Liver transplant include the following:

1. India
2. Thailand
3. South Korea
4. Turkey
5. Israel

There are certain additional cost that the patient has to pay apart from the Liver transplant cost. These include the cost of accommodation and meals outside hospital. The per day cost in this case may range around USD$ 60.

Some of the best cities in Singapore which offer Liver transplant are:

• Singapore
• Joo Chiat Pl
• Novena
• Napier Road

The patient has to spend about 10 days in the hospital after Liver transplant for proper recovery and to get clearance for discharge. During the recovery, the patient is carefully monitored and control tests are performed to see that everything is okay. If required, physiotherapy sessions are also planned during recovery in hospital.

The overall rating for hospitals providing Liver transplant in Singapore is 4.2. Several parameters such as hospital infrastructure, pricing policy, quality of services, politeness of staff etc. contribute to the rating.

Out of all the hospitals in Singapore, there are about 4 best hospitals for Liver transplant. Apart from good services, the hospitals are known to follow all standard and legal guidelines as dictated by the local medical affairs body or organization.

If you already live in countries like India, Mexico, and Jordan, then you have a better chance of getting cost-efficient treatments in the homeland. Traveling to distant lands for treatment can add up to expenses. If money is tight, you should understand that travel expenses can be a problem too. However, if you are looking for effective and successful treatment and have enough budget, Singapore is definitely the right choice for you.

In terms of health condition, Being a good candidate requires healthy lung and heart functioning. A person who can withstand the kickbacks of surgery is allowed to undergo this transplantation. Also, a liver transplant is only performed if no medications have worked on the disease.

The costs of liver transplant vary with the type of the medical institute. The average costs in a private institution can range from 300 to 350 thousand US dollars. A government-owned institute can provide these treatments at much lower costs of 50 to 100 thousand US dollars. The rates are converted from Singapore dollars to American dollars.

Singapore has been an active participant in the development of transplantation technologies. The country has set several milestones in various organ transplant surgeries. Singapore is undoubtedly among the best choice of liver transplant in Asia. The world-class infrastructure and highly skilled medical experts with years of experience have increased the success rate of liver transplants to staggering heights. The cost of liver transplants is low, and the doctors even perform living donor transplants, if required.

The liver transplant methods and technologies have greatly evolved in Singapore since 1990. With its first transplant a success, the country’s overall success rate kept on improving with time. Today, the average success rates of liver transplants in Singapore stands at 80%. Many clinics have reported a success rate as high as 87 to 90%. These figures induce positivity among patients, which plays a crucial role in the recovery process.

Singapore is home to several world-renowned hospitals, and people come from all over the world for treatments. There are government-owned medical institutes and private medical institutions. SGH (Singapore General Hospital) is a government-owned hospital known throughout the world for liver transplantation surgeries. The surgeons of SGH were the ones who performed the country's first liver transplant, South-East Asia's first living donor liver transplant with incompatible blood groups and Asia’s first combined heart-liver transplant. SGH is among the best in Asia.

There are private liver transplantation centers in the country that provide even better facilities than SGH. Mount Elizabeth Hospital is one such institute known worldwide for a high success rate in liver transplants. However, being a private institute, the costs are comparatively higher than the SGH.

There are many surgeons and consulting doctors in Singapore providing excellent treatment services either under an institution or privately. Dr CK Leow is a well known and highly qualified private practitioner in Singapore. He expertizes in the bile duct, endoscopy and liver surgeries. He is a reputed liver transplant surgeon in Singapore. Dr. Lee Kang Hoe, working for Asian American Liver Centre, is another experienced surgeon in Singapore known for his success in fields of Liver transplants to cure cancer effectively.

Singapore’s success rate is very high in live donor liver transplantation , reaching about 85-90%. With the support of Singapore's health ministry, which enhanced its support to the industry, several liver transplant departments operate in the country with varying levels of success. Since the pandemic, Singapore has become a leading destination for liver transplant surgeries, as the US and Europe introduced travel restrictions.

A number of screening tests are done before giving a go-ahead to a candidate for liver donation. The evaluation is important to make sure that there are no underlying medical conditions that can lead to complications while surgery and recovery. Same evaluation is also done for the recipient before the transplantation is carried out.

• Serology tests and blood tests include LFTs, Serum creatinine, CBC, PT, HCV antibody, HBsAg, HIV I and II.
• ECG in order to check cardiovascular activities
• Chest X rays
• Ultrasound of the abdomen for checking the size of the liver that could be donated safely.
• The final permission is given by the surgeon after thorough analysis.

Some major factors that affect liver transplant t cost in Singapore include:

• Experience of the specialists: The fees of liver plant surgeons also decides the total cost associated with the procedure. A surgeon’s fee will depend on the total experience of the surgeon, their success rate, qualification, and the hospital with which the surgeon is associated.
• The extent of hospital stay: The cost of the transplant depends on the total number of days spent by the patient right from hospital admission until discharge.
• Post-operative condition of the patient: If a patient experiences any complications after undergoing surgery, more treatments will be provided to stabilize the patient’s condition .
• Underlying medical conditions: Additional tests and medications would be needed to treat or manage any underlying medical conditions before surgery is done.
• Post-operative monitoring & testing: After the surgery, medical staff will monitor the patient’s condition and order medical tests.
• Age of the patient: Liver transplants in older patients may cost higher as they may take longer to recover.
• Visa: Medical visa is needed to travel to Singapore to seek any treatment in the country.
• Type and location of the hospital
• Type of liver transplant

• Dr C.K. Leow, Mount Elizabeth Hospital : Dr C.K. Leowgraduated from the University of Bristol, England, and joined the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford for his surgical training. He also held the post of Fellow in Transplantation at the Oxford Transplant Center. He has handled complex surgeries of pancreas and colon, liver, and gallbladder. Dr C.K. Leow has reported a high success rate in liver transplantation as well as advanced laparoscopic surgery.
• Dr. Lee Kang Hoe : He works at Asian American Liver Center, and is an experienced and skilled surgeon in Singapore well-known for his success in the field of Liver transplants. His clinical interests are in liver transplant and in critical care. Besides pneumonia and liver failure, he also treats conditions such as sepsis with multiorgan failure and also provides excellent care for ventilator-dependent & post-liver transplant patients.

Liver transplantation in Singapore is done using three approaches as explained below:

• Orthotopic Liver Transplantation : In this procedure, the complete liver of a dead donor is taken out, preserved and then transported to the recipient’s place. The time beginning from extracting the healthy liver from the donor and then placing it in the patient’s body should be 12-18 hours. After the nonfunctional liver from the patient’s body is detached from the blood vessels and other structures holding it, the liver of the donor is then placed and the blood flow is now restored. A tiny tube is attached to the bile duct.
• The cost of Orthotopic Liver Transplantation in Singapore is 290000 USD.
• Reduced-sized Liver Transplant : This procedure is generally performed in child patients. In this transplant, 15-20% of the liver stays intact. It also involves transplantation of only a part of the healthy donor’s liver. The cost of Reduced-sized Liver Transplant in Singapore is 250000 USD.
• Heterotopic Liver Transplantation : This procedure is performed in order to place a healthy donor’s liver on a side, while a diseased liver remains intact. It is done when the doctor thinks that the diseased liver would recover later. So, the donor’s liver is placed close to the recipient’s damaged liver. When the original liver recovers, then other liver shrivels, but in case the original liver fails, it shrivels and the donor’s one resumes function. The cost of Heterotopic Liver Transplantation in Singapore is 295000 USD.

Singapore is a one-stop destination for international patients looking for cost-effective liver transplant surgery. The healthcare sector in Singapore has evolved as a leading destination for liver transplant. Complex procedures such as organ transplantation in Singapore have reliable clinical outcomes and are closely regulated by authorized bodies. The top multi-specialty hospitals have centers of excellence for liver transplantation programs offering all types of liver transplants, including swap liver transplant, ABO incompatibility liver transplantation, and living-donor, cadaveric. The liver transplant surgeons in Singapore have rich experience and skills in transplant surgeries. A dedicated team of highly trained specialists as well as english-speaking nurses give holistic care to all liver transplant patients. Another major factor for Singapore’s immense popularity among international patients is the success, and safety of liver transplantation. Singapore has been quite active in the development of state-of-art transplantation technologies. The world-class infrastructure along with skilled medical experts with several years of experience have contributed to the high success rate of liver transplants.

• Gleneagles Hospital : Gleneagles Hospital offers a comprehensive range of medical as well as surgical services. It is JCI-accredited hospital and boasts state-of-the-art facilities, and global exposure. The hospital specializes in cardiovascular treatment, orthopedics, and oncology. The hospital serves over 100,000 international patients from several countries and has an excellent patient satisfaction record. The Asian American Liver Center is the first hospital in South East Asia to perform living donor liver transplants for children.
• Mount Elizabeth Hospital : The hospital is accredited by the JCI, and has gained popularity as a multi-organ transplant hospital in Singapore. They specialize in neuroscience, cardiology, and oncology offering a wide range of surgical & non-surgical treatments. It was the first private healthcare center in Singapore to perform open-heart surgery and is also credited to establish a nuclear medicine center. It is the first hospital in the Asia Pacific region to have ISO 9002 international quality certification.
• Singapore General Hospital : It is a government hospital popular for liver transplantation surgeries. The surgeons of the hospital were the ones who performed South-East Asia's first living donor liver transplants with the help of incompatible blood groups, It was considered Asia’s first combined heart-liver transplant.

The Human Organ Transplant Act of Singapore makes it mandatory for the donation of some organs after death in Singapore. It is applicable on all Singapore citizens as well as permanent residents of age 21 and mre, irrespective of religions. The organs governed by the HOTA include the liver, kidney, heart and corneas. Liver will be harvested after the death of a person at a hospital, if deemed suitable. If you are alive and want to make an organ donation, then you might only donate part of your liver. You need to attend required counseling sessions by the Ministry of Health to know the risk. Organ trading is illegal in Singapore. For the transplant procedure to be performed, the below requirements should be met. 1. The hospital’s transplant ethics committee where the transplant will take place has given their approval.2. The donor has their consent.

Before a patient undergoes liver transplantation in Singapore, he/she needs to complete a medical evaluation process with certain tests. The aim of the evaluations is to find out the fitness of the patient and check for any underlying medical conditions which can impact the transplant and patient’s ability to recover safely. The liver transplant team will then decide if the patient can go for the liver transplant surgery. During the evaluation, if any specific problem is experienced, more tests might be required. Apart from all these tests, psychological analysis, family counseling also take place. Once the patient and the donor clear the evaluation process, the approval of the concerned government is required for compliance of the legal and ethical laws in place. All required documents are submitted along with required proofs. After the department approves it, the doctor discusses with the patient the schedule of the transplant.