Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Stent and drain costs in Hyderabad: what you pay for | CION Cancer Clinics
A stent or drain in Hyderabad has no single price. The bill in 2026 depends on the kind of stent, whether it is plastic or metal, the sedation, the scans and the length of stay. Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS or cashless insurance then change what you actually pay more than any of those. This page explains each part of the bill and what to ask for in writing. 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
- How much does a stent or drain cost in Hyderabad?
- What makes up the bill for a stent or drain?
- What pushes the cost up or keeps it lower?
- When will you be spending money, and on what?
- Will Aarogyasri, CGHS or insurance cover a stent?
- What do families often get wrong about stent costs?
- What should a written estimate list?
- Common questions about stent and drain costs
The short answer
How much does a stent or drain cost in Hyderabad?
There is no single price, because a stent in the food pipe, a bile duct stent and a drain for fluid on the lung are very different procedures. The bill in 2026 depends mostly on the type of stent, whether it is plastic or metal, where it is placed, and how long you stay. Your scheme or insurance then changes what you actually pay more than any of those.
Why a quoted figure can mislead
A figure you hear from a relative or read online may include the stent but not the scan, the sedation or the room. It may be for a different stent altogether. Comparing two numbers without knowing what each one covers usually tells you very little.
What this page can and cannot tell you
This page explains what goes into the bill and who pays for which part. It does not give a quote, and it cannot tell you whether a stent or drain is the right choice for you. That decision belongs to your treating team, and it should be made on the medical need, not on the price.
Who is usually paying
Often it is not the patient reading this. It is a son or daughter arranging the admission, sometimes from another city. If that is you, ask the hospital to send the estimate and the scheme or insurance paperwork to you directly, so nothing waits on a missing signature on the day.
Everything here is indicative and reflects 2026. Ask the billing desk of your own centre for a written estimate against your cover.What you are paying for
What makes up the bill for a stent or drain?
Most estimates are built from the same few parts. Knowing them helps you read a written estimate line by line.
The device itself
The stent or drain is often the single largest item. Metal and covered stents usually cost more than plastic ones, and imported devices more than locally made ones.
The procedure room
An endoscopy suite, an imaging room or an operating theatre, with the specialist's fee and the staff who run the room.
Sedation or anaesthesia
Light sedation costs less than a general anaesthetic. Airway stents usually need the latter.
Tests before and after
Blood tests, a CT scan or ultrasound to plan the route, and an X-ray to check the position afterwards.
Sometimes added
- A biopsy taken at the same time
- Tests of the drained fluid
The stay
Some procedures are day-care. Others need a night or more, and the room category you choose changes the bill.
Side by side
What pushes the cost up or keeps it lower?
Usually costs less
Usually costs more
A plastic stent
A self-expanding metal stent, especially a covered one
Local anaesthetic and sedation
A general anaesthetic
Day-care, home the same day
An overnight or longer stay
A planned procedure
An emergency admission with extra scans
One stent that lasts
Repeat changes, or a stent that blocks and needs replacing
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Over time
When will you be spending money, and on what?
-
Before the procedure
Consultation, blood tests and a planning scan. If you hold a scheme card or policy, this is when pre-authorisation, the insurer's advance approval, is requested.
-
On the day
The device, the room, the specialist and the sedation. This is where most of the bill sits.
-
The first days after
Medicines, a check X-ray, and for drains, dressings and drainage bags to take home.
-
Weeks and months later
Plastic biliary stents and ureteric stents need changing on a schedule your team sets. Each change is a fresh, smaller bill. Drains that stay in at home need supplies and nurse visits.
-
If something goes wrong
A blocked or slipped stent, or an infected drain, may need a repeat procedure. Ask in advance how that would be billed.
Schemes and insurance
Will Aarogyasri, CGHS or insurance cover a stent?
Often, yes, at least in part. Stents and drains placed as part of cancer treatment are commonly covered, but what each scheme pays for, and which devices it allows, differs.
Government schemes
Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS and EHS each list the procedures they cover and the amount they allow. A scheme may cover a plastic stent fully but only part of a metal one. Ask the hospital's scheme desk to check your card against the exact procedure your doctor has planned.
Private health insurance
With cashless insurance, the hospital asks your insurer for approval before the procedure. Watch for room rent limits, since a higher room category can reduce what the insurer pays on every other line. Ask whether future stent changes will be treated as a new claim.
If you are paying yourself
Ask for a written estimate that lists each item. Ask what happens to the bill if the planned procedure changes on the table, for example if a different stent is needed. Do not choose a cheaper stent on price alone without asking the specialist whether it suits your situation.
Commonly believed
What do families often get wrong about stent costs?
"A metal stent is always better, so it is worth the extra money."
Metal stents tend to stay open longer, but they are not right for every situation. Some are hard to remove later. The specialist chooses the stent for the problem and the plan, and you can ask why.
"Once the stent is paid for, there are no more costs."
Some stents need planned changes, and drains need supplies. Ask how often yours may need attention, so you can budget for it.
"Our scheme card covers everything."
Schemes cover listed procedures up to set limits. Items outside the package, a higher room or a device not on the list may be charged separately. Checking before admission avoids surprises at discharge.
"The cheapest quote is the same procedure for less."
Two quotes can cover very different things. Compare what is included, which device is used and who places it, not only the total.
Before you sign
What should a written estimate list?
- The exact procedure and the type of stent or drain
- Whether the device is plastic, metal, covered or uncovered
- Specialist, room and anaesthesia charges
- Scans and tests before and after
- The expected stay and the room category
- What your scheme or insurer is expected to pay
- Home supplies for a drain, and who provides them
- How a future change or repeat procedure is billed
Questions we are asked
Common questions about stent and drain costs
Why can the hospital not tell us the exact cost on the phone?
Because the right stent, the route and the stay depend on your scans and your condition, which the specialist has to see first. A phone figure is usually a rough range. Once the procedure is planned, ask for a written estimate that names the device and each charge.
Is a drain cheaper than a stent?
Often the procedure itself is simpler, but that does not settle the total. A drain that stays in at home brings ongoing costs for bags, dressings and visits. The two usually solve different problems, so the team chooses on medical grounds, not price.
Does Aarogyasri cover a stent for cancer?
Many cancer-related stent and drain procedures are included in Aarogyasri, but the listed package and its limits decide what is paid. Ask the scheme desk at the hospital to check the exact procedure code before admission, and ask what, if anything, falls outside it.
Will insurance pay for a stent change months later?
Usually it is treated as a new admission and a new claim, subject to your remaining cover. Some policies treat day-care procedures differently from overnight stays. Call your insurer or the hospital's insurance desk with the planned procedure and ask before the change is due.
Can we choose a cheaper stent to save money?
You can raise it, and a good team will explain the options. Sometimes a plastic stent is a reasonable choice. Sometimes it would need changing so often that it costs more over time, or would not suit the blockage. Ask the specialist to explain the trade-off for your situation.
What if the procedure changes during the day?
It can happen. The specialist may find a different stent is needed once they see the blockage, or that a second stent is required. Ask beforehand how the hospital handles this, and whether your insurer or scheme needs to be told before extra items are billed.
Are home drain supplies included in the bill?
Sometimes the first few days of supplies are included at discharge, and after that you buy them. Ask what is being sent home with you, where to get more, and whether your scheme or insurer pays for them. Keep every receipt in case a claim is possible.
Is there a payment plan for these procedures?
Ask the hospital's billing desk directly what they can offer, and do not rely on anything you have heard second-hand. First check scheme eligibility and insurance, because those usually change the amount you pay far more than how you pay it.
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
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
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Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
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Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
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Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
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Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
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Dr. Vinay Mamidala
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Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
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Sources
- Cancer.Net — Financial considerations
- National Cancer Institute — NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
- Cancer Research UK — About cancer
- American Cancer Society — Managing cancer side effects
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 SurgeryPackages, pre-authorisation and room rent limits explainedBiliary Stent: Plastic vs MetalThe choice that moves the bill mostChanging a Ureteric StentThe repeat procedure families budget forWho Performs These ProceduresWho places each stent and what to ask
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