Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Travelling from Visakhapatnam and north Andhra for surgery in Hyderabad | CION Cancer Clinics
You can have cancer surgery in Hyderabad from Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram or Srikakulam, but every trip is an overnight train or a flight. So plan fewer, longer visits. Send reports ahead, join the consultation and tests together, check scheme cover across the border, and ask whether to rest nearby before the journey home. This page walks through each step. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Can you have cancer surgery in Hyderabad if you live in Visakhapatnam or north Andhra?
- How do you plan the visits when home is a night's journey away?
- Should you take the train or fly?
- Who in the family should do what?
- What do families from north Andhra often assume, and what is true?
- What if something goes wrong after you get back to Visakhapatnam?
- What should you have in hand before heading home?
- Common questions from Visakhapatnam and north Andhra
The short answer
Can you have cancer surgery in Hyderabad if you live in Visakhapatnam or north Andhra?
Yes, but it is one of the longest journeys families make for an operation, so plan fewer, longer visits. From Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam, each trip to Hyderabad is an overnight train or a flight, which makes every extra visit expensive and tiring.
Weigh the distance honestly
Visakhapatnam has hospitals that carry out cancer surgery. Some families still choose Hyderabad because relatives live there, a first opinion was given there, or their insurer or employer scheme points them there. That is a fair choice. It works best when the family knows from the start that the carer may be away from home for a long stretch.
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether surgery is the right treatment, or whether it should happen in Hyderabad or nearer home. Those are decisions for the family and the treating team, once the biopsy report and scans have been read. Nor can it tell you how long the hospital stay will be.
Ask any surgeon you see how the follow-up would work if you live far away. The answer tells you a lot about how the whole plan will feel.From first call to follow-up
How do you plan the visits when home is a night's journey away?
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Send the reports first
Share the biopsy report, scans and blood tests with the Hyderabad team before booking any travel. Ask what the first visit will involve and which tests they will want.
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One long first visit
Plan to stay a few days for the consultation and the tests before surgery, rather than going home in between. Ask whether the anaesthetist's fitness check can happen in the same visit.
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A decision before you leave
Try not to leave Hyderabad without knowing whether an operation is planned, the likely date, and what must happen before it. If a decision needs more tests, ask whether they can be done in Visakhapatnam.
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The admission
Arrive on the day the team asks, not only the day of the operation. One carer comes with the patient and stays for the whole admission.
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A few days nearby after discharge
Many families from far away rest near the hospital for a short time before the long journey home. Ask the surgeon whether this makes sense for your operation.
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Follow-up shared with home
Agree which checks can happen in north Andhra and which need a trip back. The pathology report, which says what was found in the removed tissue, usually needs a proper conversation with the surgical team.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistTrain or plane
Should you take the train or fly?
Overnight train
Flight
Cheaper, and a berth lets the patient lie flat
Far shorter, but seats are upright and cramped
Easy to walk to the toilet and stretch through the night
Airport walking, queues and waiting can tire a patient
Tickets can be hard to get at short notice
Fares rise sharply close to the date
After surgery, ask the surgeon if the patient is ready
After surgery, ask the surgeon and check the airline's rules
Sharing the load
Who in the family should do what?
A long admission far from home works better when each person has one clear job.
The carer in Hyderabad
Stays with the patient, talks to the doctors on rounds, and learns from the nurses how to care for the wound or drain.
Needs
- A place to sleep near the hospital
- Leave from work that can stretch
- Someone to take over for a day
The one who handles money
Deals with the insurer or scheme, keeps receipts, and asks for the estimate in writing. Often this person can do it by phone from home.
The one at home
Keeps the household running, looks after children or elderly parents, and prepares the home for the patient's return. This job is easy to overlook and hard to do.
The one who keeps the records
Holds every report, the discharge summary and the medicine list in one folder, with photos on a phone. When a local doctor asks what was done, this person has the answer.
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Commonly believed
What do families from north Andhra often assume, and what is true?
"We can fly home the day the patient is discharged."
Sometimes that is fine, and sometimes it is not. It depends on the operation, how recovery is going and whether a drain is still in. Ask the surgeon before booking a return ticket, and keep the booking flexible if you can.
"Telangana Aarogyasri will pay because the hospital is in Telangana."
Aarogyasri in Telangana is meant for Telangana residents. Andhra Pradesh has its own state scheme with its own rules. Check with the scheme helpline and the hospital before admission, along with any CGHS, ECHS, EHS or insurance cover.
"If we live this far away, local doctors cannot help afterwards."
They can help a great deal with dressings, blood tests and everyday problems. What they need is the discharge summary and a way to reach the surgical team with a question.
"Asking for a trip plan will annoy the hospital."
Teams who see patients from far away are used to this. Telling them early where you live helps them join up tests and reviews, and saves you journeys.
Once you are home
What if something goes wrong after you get back to Visakhapatnam?
For anything that cannot wait, go to the nearest emergency department in your own town first. That means sudden breathlessness, chest pain, a painful swollen leg, heavy bleeding from the wound, or a high fever with shivering. Take the discharge summary with you, then call the Hyderabad team.
The long journey itself carries a risk
Sitting still for many hours after an operation raises the chance of a blood clot in the legs. On a train, walk along the carriage from time to time. On a flight, stand and move your feet when you can. Drink water. Ask the team whether anything else, such as special stockings, is needed for your journey.
For smaller worries
Call the surgical team with the discharge summary in your hand. A wound that is slightly red, poor appetite or trouble sleeping can often be managed by phone or by a local doctor, once the team knows about it.
Before leaving the ward
What should you have in hand before heading home?
- The discharge summary, with a copy for your local doctor
- A clear medicine list, with what each one is for
- The date and place of the review appointment
- A phone number that is answered outside office hours
- Written wound or drain instructions the carer understands
- A note of which checks can be done near home
Questions we are asked
Common questions from Visakhapatnam and north Andhra
How many times will we need to come to Hyderabad?
Usually for a consultation with tests, the admission and at least one review. From this far away, it is worth asking the team to join the consultation and tests into one longer visit. Some reviews can be shared with a doctor near home once the team is happy with how the wound is healing.
Is flying safe after cancer surgery?
It depends on the operation and on recovery, so only the surgeon can say for your family member. Some operations need a longer gap before flying than others. Ask before you book, and check the airline's own rules about travelling after surgery, which may ask for a doctor's letter.
Can we get an opinion in Hyderabad and have surgery in Visakhapatnam?
Yes. A second opinion is about understanding the plan, and many families take the written opinion back home. Share it with your local surgeon, so both teams are working from the same reports and nobody repeats tests that are already done.
Where does the carer stay during a long admission?
Families use relatives' homes, lodges near the hospital and low-cost stays run for patients' families. Sort this out before the admission date. Choose somewhere close enough that the carer can reach the ward quickly if the doctors want to talk.
Will our Andhra Pradesh scheme card work in Hyderabad?
It depends on the scheme's current rules and on the hospital and operation. Call the scheme helpline and ask the hospital's insurance desk before admission. CGHS, ECHS, EHS and cashless insurance each have their own lists of hospitals, so check those too if they apply.
What if the operation date moves after we have booked?
Dates can move because of test results or emergencies. Book changeable tickets where you can, and ask the team to call you as early as possible if anything shifts. Keep a small amount of money aside for one unplanned night in Hyderabad.
Can stitches be removed back home?
Often, if the surgical team agrees and tells the local doctor or nurse what to check. Drains are more often removed by the surgical team. Ask before discharge exactly what will be done where, so there is no confusion later.
Will any treatment after surgery have to be in Hyderabad too?
That depends on the pathology report, which is not ready until after the operation. If chemotherapy or radiation is needed, ask whether it can be given closer to home. Treatment is often shared between centres once the plan is written down clearly.
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
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Accreditation and empanelment
- NABH
- NABL
- ISO 9001:2015
- ArogyaSri empanelled
- CGHS accepted
- ECHS accepted
- EHS accepted
- Major cashless insurers
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.
Where to find us
Our centres in and around Hyderabad
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.
Warangal
Vizag
Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Surgery to treat cancer
- NHS — Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for cancer
- American Cancer Society — Cancer surgery
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
Low-Cost Stay for Surgical Patients' FamiliesWhere the carer can stay during a long admissionGetting Follow-Up Closer to Home After SurgeryWhich checks can happen back in north AndhraSecond Surgical Opinion in HyderabadGetting an opinion without moving your careFalling Ill Back Home After DischargeWhat to do if a problem starts at home
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