Gastroenterology
Starting from
$2,000
Up to $12,000 depending on centre
Typical duration
7–30 days
Including pre-operative work-up
Partner hospitals
1
Vetted for outcome data & accreditation
Content reviewed for medical accuracy by: Dr. Rodina Ainasoa · Medical Content Writer & Health Communications
Expert management of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis using the latest biologic agents, immunomodulators, and surgical intervention when needed, offered by experienced IBD specialists at internationally accredited centers. Medical tourists benefit from significantly lower biologic drug costs and access to advanced endoscopic and surgical expertise.
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.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Management
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No commitment required. Your data is never shared with third parties.
Most people with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis are managed medically with biologic and immunosuppressive therapy. Surgery is reserved for disease that does not respond to medication, or for complications. Here is how the two approaches compare.
| Parameter | Medical / Biologic Management | Surgical Management |
|---|---|---|
| When it's used | First-line approach for most patients — used to induce and maintain remission with biologics (e.g. infliximab, adalimumab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab) or immunomodulators. | Reserved for disease that fails to respond to medical therapy, or for complications such as strictures, fistulas, perforation, uncontrolled bleeding, or toxic megacolon, per the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. |
| Invasiveness | Non-invasive — administered as an infusion or injection; no incisions or hospital admission required for routine therapy. | Invasive — an operative procedure (e.g. bowel resection, strictureplasty, or colectomy) performed under general anaesthesia, typically via laparoscopic or robotic-assisted technique at experienced centers, or open surgery when needed. |
| Typical hospital stay | Same-day or short-stay infusion visits; no inpatient admission for standard biologic therapy. | Roughly 3-7 days for laparoscopic or robotic-assisted resection, longer for open surgery or emergency procedures, per Cleveland Clinic. |
| Recovery | No surgical recovery; response to therapy is assessed clinically and via lab/endoscopic markers over weeks to months. | Several weeks of surgical recovery; minimally invasive (laparoscopic/robotic) approaches are generally associated with less pain and a faster return to activity than open surgery, per peer-reviewed IBD surgery literature. |
| Effect on the underlying disease | Controls inflammation and induces remission but does not cure the underlying disease; ongoing maintenance therapy and monitoring are typically needed. | Removing the colon and rectum can be curative for ulcerative colitis; for Crohn's disease, surgery treats the affected segment and its complications but disease can recur elsewhere in the digestive tract, per the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. |
The steps below outline a typical medical-management pathway for IBD. Your gastroenterologist will confirm the exact plan for your case, including whether surgical referral is appropriate.
Diagnostic workup and disease assessment
Colonoscopy with biopsies and/or MRI enterography, along with lab markers such as fecal calprotectin, confirm the diagnosis and map disease location, extent, and severity (Crohn's disease vs. ulcerative colitis).
Biologic or immunomodulator selection and induction
Based on disease severity, location, and prior treatment history, your gastroenterologist selects an appropriate biologic (such as an anti-TNF, anti-integrin, or anti-IL agent) or immunomodulator and begins an induction course to bring active inflammation under control.
Response monitoring and dose optimization
Clinical symptoms, lab markers, and periodic endoscopy are used to confirm the therapy is working; dosing or drug levels may be adjusted, or a different agent tried, if response is incomplete.
Escalation to surgical referral if needed
If the disease remains refractory to medical therapy, or a complication such as a stricture, fistula, or perforation develops, you are referred to a colorectal surgeon experienced in IBD for evaluation of bowel resection, strictureplasty, or colectomy.
Initial clinical response to induction therapy is assessed; many biologics show an early symptomatic improvement within this window, though full effect can take longer, per the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation.
Formal response and remission are typically reassessed around this point using symptom scores and lab markers such as fecal calprotectin or CRP; non-responders may have their regimen adjusted or changed.
Endoscopic reassessment (repeat colonoscopy) is often performed to confirm mucosal healing, which is associated with better long-term outcomes than symptom control alone, per ACG guidelines.
IBD is a chronic, relapsing condition; maintenance therapy, periodic monitoring, and prompt reassessment if symptoms flare are needed long-term, with surgery remaining an option if the disease becomes refractory or complications arise.
Source: Crohn's & Colitis Foundation; Mayo Clinic; Cleveland Clinic; American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) guidelines. Individual monitoring schedules vary and are guided by your treating gastroenterologist.
Known Risks & Limitations
Source: Crohn's & Colitis Foundation; Mayo Clinic; Cleveland Clinic; American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) guidelines; peer-reviewed IBD literature. No treatment is without risk; your treating gastroenterologist will review your individual case.
Remote case review
Share your diagnosis, prior imaging, endoscopy reports, and treatment history with our coordination team, who forward your case for an initial review of suitability for biologic therapy or surgical evaluation abroad.
Specialist matching
We match you with an IBD-focused gastroenterologist, and a colorectal surgeon where relevant, at an accredited partner center experienced in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis care.
Treatment plan and cost estimate
Once your case is reviewed, we issue a consolidated treatment plan and cost estimate covering diagnostics, biologic therapy or surgery, and hospital stay if applicable.
Treatment and monitoring
You attend your diagnostic workup and begin or continue treatment — whether that is biologic infusion, immunomodulator initiation, or a surgical procedure — with clinical monitoring throughout your stay.
Follow-up and continuity of care
Before you depart, your treatment records, lab results, and maintenance therapy plan are shared with your home-country gastroenterologist so they can continue monitoring and ongoing care.
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 | $3,000 | —chevron_right |
🇹🇷 Turkey Istanbul | $6,000 | +100%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
There are two main reasons patients travel for IBD care: cost and access. Biologic therapies such as infliximab (Remicade) or vedolizumab can cost USD 15,000–30,000 per year in the US or Europe. The same FDA/EMA-approved biosimilars are available at partner centers in India and Turkey for 70–85% less. Second, patients in countries with limited gastroenterology expertise often cannot access IBD specialists, advanced diagnostics (MRI enterography, capsule endoscopy), or the full range of biologic agents. Our partner centers have dedicated IBD clinics with gastroenterologists who sub-specialize exclusively in Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.
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.
