breastcancer.one ribbon markbreastcancer.oneRobot Assisted Breast Preservation
For international patients

An India-based programme, honest with families abroad

For breast cancer patients weighing an NHS reconstructive waitlist, a US out-of-pocket bill, or a Gulf-tier private quote against travelling for the same operation. Here is how the programme works when the enquiry comes from London, New York, Dubai, or Dhaka.

How we position, without spin

What we are (and are not)

Direct is better than diplomatic here. If any of this is a mismatch for what you need, a local breast unit is likely the right call.

What we are

  • An India-based robotic breast surgery programme
  • Led by a named, fellowship-trained surgeon (Dr Malhotra)
  • Delivered at a tertiary-care private hospital (CK Birla)
  • Available at £8-11k all-in for the flagship operation
  • Working with families from the UK, US, Gulf, and South Asia since the programme started

What we are not

  • A locally-registered clinic in your country
  • A team pretending to be UK-, US-, or Gulf-adjacent for marketing
  • Able to bill NHS, Medicare/Medicaid, or a local insurer directly
  • Able to guarantee international insurance reimbursement
  • Able to issue discharge summaries in a local health-system format
The buying case

Why international patients travel for this operation

For most international patients the choice is one of time, price, or access to a specific technique - and often all three at once. Rough comparison, same operation, different country.

United Kingdom

6-14 months

typical NHS wait for elective reconstructive breast surgery; UK private tier £15,000-£25,000+

Access to an experienced robotic breast surgeon on the NHS is more restricted still.

United States

$50,000-$100,000+

out-of-pocket for the same operation; insurance rarely covers robot-assisted breast surgery in full

Even in-network hospitals often exclude the robotic add-on from their coverage schedules.

Gulf (UAE, Saudi, Qatar)

$20,000-$40,000

typical private-tier estimate for robotic breast preservation surgery

Availability of experienced robotic breast surgeons varies by emirate and by city.

India (this programme)

£8,000-£11,000

≈ $10,000-$14,000 all-in for the flagship operation, before international-patient logistics

Same da Vinci platform, same fellowship-trained surgical standard, materially different price base.

What international patients get by default

How we work with families abroad

These are not extras. They are how the programme is set up for anyone reaching out from a different time zone or a different health system.

Multi-timezone coverage

Reply windows sit in the 09:00-14:00 GMT band by default (India is 5h30 ahead). That overlaps morning UK, early morning US East Coast, and late morning across the Gulf. Video consultations are scheduled inside this band so mornings work at both ends.

International-facing contact

Reach the team at aohc@getintouch.zohodesk.in - routed into the surgical team's secure case-review inbox. WhatsApp on +91 90563 30977 for anything time-sensitive; UK, US, Gulf, and South Asia mobiles all reach it directly.

Data handling

Reports are stored on the same secure infrastructure any Indian tertiary hospital would use. On request we sign a standard confidentiality undertaking before you send anything.

Honest positioning

We are an India-based surgical programme. No overseas entity, no offshore clinical staff, no fee for the case review itself. This is stated up front rather than buried in a footer.

Enquiry to surgery

The typical overseas-to-Delhi journey

Six steps from a first email to flying home with the paperwork. Most international patients complete the whole sequence in 4-6 weeks.

  1. 01

    Send your reports

    Imaging (mammogram, ultrasound, MRI if done), biopsy pathology, and any prior treatment notes. Email is fine; nothing exotic required.

  2. 02

    Written case review, 2-3 working days

    The surgical team reviews the case and returns a written second opinion: what operation is realistic, what the alternatives are, and honest notes on what is unclear from the reports.

  3. 03

    Written quote and plan

    If you want to proceed, a written itemised quote follows within a working week. It covers the surgery, hospital stay, and international-patient logistics - no surprises at discharge.

  4. 04

    Visa and travel

    A visa invitation letter and treatment-plan documentation are issued on request - suitable for UK medical visas, US B1/B2, GCC eVisas, and similar routes. Airport pickup, ground transport, and accommodation for you and one companion are arranged before you land.

  5. 05

    Surgery and recovery in Delhi

    Consultation, pre-op work, surgery, and 2-4 nights hospital stay depending on the operation. Post-op recovery in serviced accommodation for the balance of the stay.

  6. 06

    Fly home with the paperwork

    Operative summary, pathology report, post-op protocol, and a fitness-to-fly letter accompany you home. Your local GP, oncologist, or breast unit takes over routine follow-up.

How to reach us from abroad

Email, WhatsApp, GMT-friendly video

No form to fill out just to get in touch. Anything you send is confidential; a signed confidentiality undertaking is available on request before you share medical records.

Email us

aohc@getintouch.zohodesk.in

Forwards into the surgical team's case-review inbox. Typical first reply within one working day at your end.

Reply window

09:00-14:00 GMT

Overlaps morning UK, early morning US East Coast, late morning across the Gulf, and mid-day in South Asia.

WhatsApp

+91 90563 30977

For anything time-sensitive. UK, US, Gulf, and South Asia mobiles all reach it directly; standard voice-call rates apply if you dial rather than message.

International-patient questions

What families abroad ask before they travel

Do you have a UK, US, or Gulf office or registered entity?
No. We are an India-based surgical programme at CK Birla Hospital, New Delhi. We work with international families through email, WhatsApp, and video consultations across GMT-friendly hours, but there is no overseas office, no overseas legal entity, and no overseas clinical staff. Being direct about this is the honest starting point.
How does travelling for this compare with local options?
It depends on where 'local' is. UK NHS covers robot-assisted breast surgery without a fee where it is available, but elective reconstructive lists commonly run 6-14 months and access to an experienced robotic breast surgeon is limited. UK private-tier quotes for robotic nipple-sparing mastectomy with immediate LD flap reconstruction typically start around £15,000-£25,000. In the US, out-of-pocket for the same operation sits in the $50,000-$100,000 range and insurance rarely covers robot-assisted breast surgery in full. Gulf-tier private estimates cluster around $20,000-$40,000. In India, the same operation - performed to the same specification - is £8,000-£11,000 all-in.
Will my local doctors accept the follow-up care?
In our experience, yes. Your GP, oncology team, NHS breast unit, Medicare-adjacent oncologist, or Gulf breast clinic can and typically do continue routine follow-up once the immediate post-op period is complete. We supply a written operative summary, pathology report, and MRI recommendations to hand over, and are happy to speak with your local team directly if they have questions.
Can my local insurance help cover this?
The NHS does not fund treatment abroad in the usual pathway. A small number of UK private policies reimburse international care, usually on a pay-upfront, claim-afterwards basis with substantial documentation. US insurance rarely covers overseas surgery. Gulf insurers vary case-by-case; we help patients navigate their policy where possible. We provide the pro-forma invoice and post-op documentation your insurer will need.
How does the timeline from first enquiry to surgery actually work?
Typical pattern: emails and reports arrive on day 1, written case review is returned within 2-3 working days, written quote follows within a working week if you want to proceed. Visa is issued in 1-2 weeks depending on your embassy. Most international patients travel within 3-4 weeks of first contact and are back home within 10-14 days of surgery.
What if there is a complication after I fly home?
You have direct WhatsApp and email access to the surgical team for the full post-op window and beyond. Most post-op questions resolve on that channel. If you need in-person care, the operative summary and post-op protocol we supply are enough for any A&E, GP, or specialist breast unit anywhere in the world to take over safely.

First step is a written case review

Send your imaging, biopsy pathology, and any prior treatment notes. The written view of what robot-assisted breast preservation looks like in your specific case comes back in 2-3 working days.