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Axillary lymph node dissection cost in Hyderabad | CION Cancer Clinics
An axillary dissection in Hyderabad has no single price. The bill depends on whether the armpit nodes are removed alone or with a lumpectomy or mastectomy, the room you choose, the nights in hospital and the pathology tests on the tissue. For most families in Telangana with Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS or cashless insurance, what is paid from pocket is far below the sticker figure. This page explains each part of the bill and how to get a real estimate. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MM
Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- What does an axillary lymph node dissection cost in Hyderabad?
- The three bands the bill usually falls into
- What the bill is actually made of
- Usually inside the package, and usually outside it
- Four things families tell us about cost, and what is actually true
- How to get a real estimate and an approval
- What this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about the cost of axillary dissection
The short answer
What does an axillary lymph node dissection cost in Hyderabad?
There is no single price. The cost of an axillary dissection (removal of the lymph nodes from the armpit) in Hyderabad depends on whether it is done alone or with breast surgery, the room you choose, the nights in hospital and the pathology tests on the tissue. For most families in Telangana the figure that matters is what is paid from pocket after Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS or cashless insurance, and that is often far below the sticker price.
Why the same operation has different bills
The armpit is rarely operated on alone. Most people have it done in the same sitting as a lumpectomy or a mastectomy, and the bill covers both. A dissection after an earlier sentinel node biopsy is billed on its own. The levels cleared and the drain change theatre time and the stay.
What this page can and cannot do
It can explain what goes into the bill, which parts are usually inside a package and which are usually outside it, and how the schemes change the figure. It cannot give you a quote. A real estimate needs your operation plan, your room choice and your scheme or policy card. Everything on this page is indicative and dated 2026.
No EMI offer exists at CION. If someone offers one in CION's name, it is not from us.Indicative cost
The three bands the bill usually falls into
Bands, not quotes. Where your operation sits depends on what is done with it, the room and the stay.
Lower band
Dissection alone, short stay
A completion dissection after an earlier sentinel biopsy, in a general or shared room, going home once the drain is settled.
Middle band
Dissection with breast surgery
Done in the same sitting as a lumpectomy or a mastectomy. The larger share of the bill is the breast operation and the stay.
Higher band
With reconstruction or a private room
Immediate breast reconstruction, a plastic surgeon's fee, a private room or a longer stay for a wound problem all move the figure up.
Indicative only, for 2026. Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS and EHS are accepted, and most cashless insurers are empanelled. In those cases your out-of-pocket cost is usually very different from the sticker figure. Call the helpline for an estimate against your own cover.
Line by line
What the bill is actually made of
Ask for the estimate broken into these parts.
Surgeon and anaesthetist
The fees for the operating surgeon, any assistant and the anaesthetist. Under Aarogyasri and most schemes these are inside the package and not charged separately.
Theatre and consumables
Theatre time, the drain, sutures, dressings, and any dye or tracer used to find nodes. Blue dye is cheap. A radioactive tracer or a fluorescent camera can add a line to the bill.
Room and nights
The single biggest reason two people with the same operation get different bills. A general ward, a twin-sharing room and a private room carry different daily rates, and doctor visit fees often scale with the room.
Pathology
Every node removed is examined, and the fee rises with the number of nodes. Receptor tests and HER2 testing are done on the tumour, and sometimes on a node, and are usually billed separately.
Often outside the package
- Receptor and HER2 tests
- A second opinion on the slides
- Genomic tests, if advised
After discharge
Drain care visits, physiotherapy for the shoulder, a compression sleeve if the arm swells, and the first follow-up. These are small each time but add up over the first months.
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Side by side
Usually inside the package, and usually outside it
Usually inside
Usually outside
Inside: surgeon, anaesthetist and theatre fees
Outside: receptor, HER2 and genomic tests on the tumour
Inside: the agreed number of nights in the agreed room
Outside: extra nights for a wound or drain problem
Inside: routine blood tests and the drain
Outside: a PET-CT or MRI ordered before the operation
Inside: standard pathology on the removed tissue
Outside: physiotherapy and a compression sleeve afterwards
Inside: medicines given in hospital
Outside: medicines to take home, and the follow-up visits
Commonly believed
Four things families tell us about cost, and what is actually true
"Aarogyasri means we will pay nothing."
The scheme covers the approved package at an empanelled hospital. Tests done before admission, a room above the scheme's category, some pathology and medicines after discharge can still fall to you. Ask the scheme desk what is outside the package before the admission.
"The package price is the final price."
A package covers a planned operation and a planned stay. A wound infection, a seroma that needs draining more than once or a longer stay changes the bill. Ask what happens to the estimate if the stay runs longer.
"A cheaper hospital must be cutting corners."
Room rates and location drive most of the difference between hospitals, not the operation itself. What matters is the surgeon's experience with breast and armpit surgery, the pathology laboratory and whether a tumour board reviews the plan.
"A sentinel node biopsy is always the cheaper
choice."
It is a smaller operation and usually costs less. But if the sentinel node turns out to contain cancer and a dissection is needed later, two operations can cost more than one. Which is right for you is a clinical decision, not a financial one.
Before admission
How to get a real estimate and an approval
Get the operation plan in writing
Ask the surgeon to write down exactly what is planned: dissection alone or with breast surgery, which levels of the armpit, whether reconstruction is planned, and the expected nights. The estimate is only as good as this note.
Take it to the insurance or scheme desk
Carry your Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS or EHS card, or your policy number and the insurer's card. The desk checks the package code and tells you what is inside it and what is not.
Pre-authorisation
For cashless insurance and most schemes, the hospital sends the plan to the insurer or the scheme before admission and waits for an approval. Ask how long this usually takes at that hospital and start early, because a delayed approval delays the operation date.
Ask about the parts outside the package
Receptor tests, scans already done, the room category and the take-home medicines. Ask for these as a separate written figure so there is no surprise at discharge.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you what your operation will cost, and no page can. It cannot tell you whether your policy will approve it, what room category your scheme allows, or whether the tests before admission will be reimbursed. Those come from your own card and your own plan, checked at the hospital's desk.
Whether you need this operation at all
The decision between a sentinel node biopsy, a full dissection, radiation to the armpit or leaving the armpit alone belongs to your treating team, based on your scans, your biopsy and the tumour board's view. Cost should never make that choice. If the recommended plan is out of reach, say so to the team and the scheme desk before the operation. There is often a scheme families do not know they qualify for.
Costs that come later
The armpit operation is usually one part of a longer treatment. Radiation, hormone tablets, chemotherapy or targeted drugs may follow, and each has its own approval and its own bill. Ask the oncologist for the likely sequence early, so the family can plan the whole course and not just the surgery.
Call the helpline with your card details and the surgeon's note. We will tell you what your cover is likely to include before you travel.Questions we are asked
Common questions about the cost of axillary dissection
Is axillary dissection covered under Aarogyasri?
Breast cancer surgery, including removal of the armpit nodes, is within the scheme's cancer packages at empanelled hospitals. The scheme desk at the hospital confirms the exact package for your plan and applies for approval. Ask what sits outside the package, such as tests before admission and take-home medicines.
Does CGHS, ECHS or EHS cover it?
Yes, at empanelled hospitals and at the scheme's approved rates. Your room category follows your entitlement under the scheme. If you choose a higher room, the difference is usually paid by you. Bring your card and the referral letter, as approval cannot start without them.
Will my private insurance pay cashless?
Most large insurers are empanelled and will pay cashless once pre-authorisation is granted. Check three things with your insurer: the room rent limit on your policy, any waiting period still running, and whether the sum insured is enough for the whole course of treatment, not just the surgery.
Why is the estimate higher than the figure a relative paid?
Usually because the operations were not the same. A dissection with a mastectomy costs more than a sentinel biopsy with a lumpectomy. Room category, the year, the number of nights and whether reconstruction was done all differ. Compare the written plans, not the totals.
Are the pathology tests on the nodes extra?
Standard examination of the removed tissue is usually inside the package. Receptor tests, HER2 testing and any genomic test are usually billed separately, and some schemes do not cover all of them. Ask for these as a separate line on the estimate so you can plan.
What if the drain has to stay in longer?
Many centres send you home with the drain and review it in the outpatient clinic, which costs little. If the stay must be extended for a wound or fluid problem, extra nights are usually billed at the room rate. Ask beforehand how the hospital handles this.
Is there an EMI or instalment option?
No. CION does not offer any EMI or instalment scheme, and nobody is authorised to offer one in our name. What we can do is check every scheme and policy you may qualify for and give you a written estimate before admission.
Is it cheaper to do the node surgery and the breast surgery together?
Usually yes, because one anaesthetic, one theatre slot and one stay cover both. That is one reason the sentinel node is often checked during the breast operation itself. Whether both can be done together is a clinical question for your surgeon, not a saving to ask for.
What moves the figure
What affects the cost
Four things change the total more than anything else.
The technique used
A shaped or image-guided delivery costs more than a conventional one, and is chosen on clinical grounds rather than preference.
How many sessions
The total is driven by the number of sittings or cycles, not by a single per-visit figure.
Supporting tests
Scans, blood work and pathology done alongside treatment are billed separately.
Your cover
Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS or cashless insurance usually change the out-of-pocket figure substantially.
Paying for it
Insurance, schemes and payment
What you actually pay usually differs a great deal from the sticker figure.
AarogyasriEmpanelled. Bring the card and a referral where you have one.
CGHS / ECHS / EHSAccepted at CION centres for eligible treatment.
Cashless insuranceMost major insurers are empanelled. Pre-authorisation is handled by our desk.
Self-payItemised estimate given before treatment starts. No EMI scheme exists.
Accreditation and empanelment
- NABH
- NABL
- ISO 9001:2015
- ArogyaSri empanelled
- CGHS accepted
- ECHS accepted
- EHS accepted
- Major cashless insurers
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Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. A surgical consultation can be booked at any of these centres through one helpline, and your team will tell you where the operation itself takes place.
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Sources
- American Cancer Society — Lymph node surgery for breast cancer
- American Cancer Society — Financial and insurance matters
- National Cancer Institute — Managing Costs and Medical Information
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Help with the cost of cancer
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Cost, Insurance and Schemes for Cancer SurgeryHow surgery packages, approvals and claims workAxillary Lymph Node Dissection: What the Operation InvolvesWhat you are actually being billed forSentinel Node Biopsy or Full Axillary Clearance?The smaller operation, and when a clearance is still neededThe Drain After Axillary DissectionThe part of recovery that most often changes the stayBreast cancer guideThe treatments that follow surgery and carry their own costs
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