Hematology
Starting from
$15,000
Up to $90,000 depending on centre
Typical duration
45–100 days
Including pre-operative work-up
Partner hospitals
2
Vetted for outcome data & accreditation
Content reviewed for medical accuracy by: Dr. Rodina Ainasoa · Medical Content Writer & Health Communications
Receive potentially curative treatment for severe aplastic anemia through bone marrow transplantation or highly effective immunosuppressive therapy (IST) with anti-thymocyte globulin and cyclosporine. India and Israel offer world-class aplastic anemia programs with experienced hematologists at costs 60–80% below those in Western countries.
Your case is matched to a centre on the basis of clinical outcome data, not marketing. We coordinate every step — from pre-operative work-up to post-treatment follow-up — with a dedicated care coordinator.
Aplastic Anemia Treatment
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For acquired aplastic anemia, a hematology team chooses between two standard approaches based on your age, disease severity, and whether a matched donor is available — this is a clinical decision made by your treating team, not a self-selected option. Bone marrow (stem cell) transplant is potentially curative but requires a suitably matched donor and carries transplant-specific risks, while immunosuppressive therapy (IST) with anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) plus cyclosporine is used when transplant is not suitable, such as when no matched donor is available or in older patients.
| Parameter | Immunosuppressive Therapy (IST) | Bone Marrow / Stem Cell Transplant |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A course of anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) combined with cyclosporine, aimed at suppressing the immune response that is destroying the bone marrow's blood-forming stem cells, without replacing the marrow itself. | The patient's damaged bone marrow is replaced with healthy blood-forming stem cells from a matched donor (typically a sibling, or a matched unrelated or haploidentical donor when no sibling match exists), after a conditioning regimen. |
| Who it's typically used for | Patients without a matched sibling donor, older patients for whom transplant-related risks are higher, and those with non-severe disease. | Younger patients with severe or very severe aplastic anemia who have a suitably matched donor, where it is generally the preferred first-line option because it can be curative. |
| Response / outcome rates | Response rates with ATG plus cyclosporine are generally reported in the 60–70% range, though published series report a range as wide as roughly 40–80% depending on patient selection. | Long-term survival after matched sibling donor transplant has been reported at roughly 90% in patients under 20 and around 70–80% in patients in their 20s to 40s, with outcomes declining further with increasing age. |
| Time to assess response | Response is generally assessed over the following 3 to 6 months, as blood counts can take time to recover even when treatment is working. | Initial engraftment is typically assessed within the first 2 to 4 weeks after transplant, with fuller immune recovery continuing over several months. |
| Longer-term risks | A meaningful proportion of responders relapse over time, and a smaller proportion later develop a clonal blood disorder such as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or, less commonly, acute leukemia. | Graft-versus-host disease, infection during immune recovery, and graft failure are the main transplant-specific risks; these risks are generally higher in older patients and with alternative (non-sibling) donors. |
The steps below outline the general process for aplastic anemia treatment; your hematology team will confirm which pathway (IST or transplant) applies to you after reviewing your bone marrow biopsy, blood counts, and donor typing.
Diagnosis and severity grading
A bone marrow biopsy and blood counts confirm the diagnosis and determine whether the disease is non-severe, severe, or very severe, which is a key factor in choosing the treatment pathway.
HLA typing and donor search
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing is performed on the patient and available family members to check for a matched sibling donor; if none is found, a search for a matched unrelated or haploidentical donor may be started.
Treatment selection by the hematology team
Based on age, disease severity, and donor availability, the hematology team recommends either transplant or a course of immunosuppressive therapy, discussing the expected benefits and risks of each option with the patient.
Treatment delivery and monitoring
IST is delivered as an inpatient course of ATG infusions followed by daily oral cyclosporine, or transplant proceeds with a conditioning regimen followed by stem cell infusion — both pathways involve close monitoring, transfusion support, and infection precautions during the period of low blood counts.
For IST, the initial ATG infusion course is completed as an inpatient, typically over about 4–5 days, followed by daily oral cyclosporine; for transplant, this period covers conditioning and the initial days after stem cell infusion, during which blood counts are at their lowest and infection precautions are strictest.
Blood counts are monitored closely for early signs of response (IST) or engraftment (transplant); transfusion support continues as needed and cyclosporine levels are checked regularly to keep dosing in a safe range.
This is the typical window in which IST response is formally assessed, since blood count recovery can be gradual; transplant patients continue tapering immunosuppression and monitoring for graft-versus-host disease during this period.
Both groups require long-term hematology follow-up: IST patients are monitored for relapse and for clonal evolution to conditions such as MDS, while transplant patients are monitored for chronic graft-versus-host disease and general immune recovery.
Source: American Society of Hematology (Blood / Blood Advances) published outcome studies; Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic patient education materials. Individual timelines vary and are guided by your treating hematology team.
Known Risks & Limitations
Source: American Society of Hematology (Blood / Blood Advances) published cohort studies and meta-analyses on immunosuppressive therapy and transplant outcomes in aplastic anemia. No treatment pathway is without risk; your hematology team will review your individual risk factors before recommending an approach.
Remote clinical review
Share your recent complete blood count (CBC), bone marrow biopsy report, and any HLA typing results already available. Our coordination team forwards your case to a hematologist for initial review before you travel.
Severity grading and donor search coordination
The receiving hematology team confirms disease severity from your records and, if HLA typing has not yet been done, coordinates typing for you and any potential family donors to check for a matched sibling.
Treatment-pathway recommendation
Based on your age, disease severity, and donor availability, the hematology team recommends either bone marrow transplant or a course of immunosuppressive therapy, explaining the expected timeline and risks of the recommended approach.
Pre-travel medical stabilization check
Given the risks of traveling with very low blood counts, your most recent labs are reviewed before confirming eligibility to travel, with local transfusion support arranged first if needed to safely prepare you for the journey.
Consolidated estimate and discharge planning
A cost estimate covering consultation, HLA typing, the chosen treatment course, and monitoring is issued before you travel, and a detailed discharge and follow-up plan is shared with your home hematology team afterward.
Average coordinated costs across our partner centres. Final pricing depends on clinical complexity and chosen hospital.
| Country | Avg. cost | vs. cheapest |
|---|---|---|
🇮🇳 India New Delhi · Chennai · Bengaluru · Hyderabad · Mumbai · Kochi | $18,000 | —chevron_right |
🇹🇷 Turkey Istanbul | $75,000 | +317%chevron_right |
Costs are indicative estimates and vary by procedure specifics, hospital, and clinical complexity. Request a personalised estimate for your specific case.
Faridabad, India
Asia's largest private hospital — 2,600 beds, 64 operation theatres, 81 specialties on a 130-acre campus in Delhi NCR. NABH & NABL accredited. Centres of excellence in oncology, cardiac surgery, BMT, organ transplantation, neurosciences, and IVF.
800+
Specialists
2,600+
Beds
Bengaluru, India
Manipal Hospitals Old Airport Road is the flagship and founding campus of one of India's largest healthcare networks, established in 1991 on HAL Old Airport Road, Kodihalli, Bengaluru. Part of the Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG), the network spans 49 hospitals and 12,600+ beds across India. The Old Airport Road campus anchors the group's academic and clinical identity, housing specialist institutes including the Manipal Institute for Joint Replacement and Robotic Surgery (MIJRRS), the Manipal Robotic Spine Surgery centre (MIRSS), the Manipal Skull Base Institute (MSBI), and the Manipal Institute for Bariatric Surgery (MIBS). Its quaternary-level capabilities cover cardiology, oncology, neurosurgery, organ transplantation, orthopaedics, spine surgery, bariatric surgery, and paediatrics, all within a NABH and NABL accredited environment. The hospital provides dedicated international patient services through the Manipal Global network, with support for visa, travel, language, and end-to-end care coordination.
264+
Specialists
600+
Beds
The choice depends primarily on age, disease severity, and donor availability. For younger patients with severe or very severe aplastic anemia who have a matched sibling donor, bone marrow transplant is the preferred curative option, with published long-term survival approaching 90% in patients under 20 and generally above 70% in patients in their 20s to 40s. For older patients, those without a matched donor, or those with non-severe disease, immunosuppressive therapy with horse-ATG or rabbit-ATG plus cyclosporine is the standard first-line approach, achieving responses in 60–70% of patients (though 30–60% of responders may relapse over time, and a smaller proportion later develop a clonal blood disorder such as MDS). Our partner hematologists will review your CBC, bone marrow biopsy, and HLA typing to provide a tailored recommendation before you travel.
No fees. No commitment.
We are compensated by our partner hospitals — never by patients. You get independent clinical matching, cost transparency, and end-to-end coordination at no cost to you.
