Under the influence of COVID-19, non-emergency surgical services in public hospitals are postponed and citizens may also be worried about visiting public hospitals. In fact, citizens can choose to undergo day surgery for certain minor operations, such as gastroscopy, colonoscopy and cataract removal surgeries.
What is Day Surgery?
Day surgery refers to the surgeries after which the patient can be discharged from the hospital on the same day after doctor’s observation and advisory. The anesthesiologist will first determine whether the patient’s physical health can allow day surgery before head, this can ensure that the operation is carried out in a safe manner. At the same time, the anesthesiologist will explain to the patient about the anesthesia method, the prevention and treatment of postoperative pain and adverse reactions. Preoperative tests or specialist referrals will be arranged for patients If necessary.
Advantages of Day Surgery
Day surgery offers plenty of benefits, such as:
- Shorten the hospital stay and reduce the impact on daily life
- Avoid chances of cross-infection in the hospital, especially when the coronavirus epidemic is not yet over
- Reduce unnecessary hospitalization
- Reduce the mental burden due to environmental changes under long-term hospitalization
- Ease the shortage of hospital beds
Currently, the most common types of day surgery include cataract removal, gastroscopy, colonoscopy, bronchoscopy, circumcision, cystoscopy, minimally invasive hernia repair and endometrial curettage, etc. We used cataract removal, gastroscopy, colonoscopy as examples to illustrate the various procedures and the range of fees.
Gastroscopy Process & Costs
A gastroscopy is recommended if you have symptoms with your stomach, esophagus, or small intestine.
The gastroscope consists of a tube with a camera attached to the end of it. Thanks to the flexibility of the tube, it can be bent inside the body so that the camera can capture the conditions at different angles along the esophagus, stomach and duodenum during the gastroscopy. Patients with unknown stomach discomfort can undergo a gastroscopic examination to allow the doctor to check for ulcers or tumors in the upper gastrointestinal tract. They can also make use of the chance to remove polyps or take a biopsy for further testing.
The entire process usually takes only 5 to 10 minutes, but it requires 6 to 8 hours of fasting (of both drinks and food) before the gastroscopy. Generally speaking, it takes 1 to 2 hours for recovery. The average gastroscopy cost for day surgery is $5,514 while inpatient surgery generally costs $21,076. Before deciding to take a gastroscopy, you should approach the private hospital or medical centre to learn about the services included in the fee and check whether other additional fees will be charged. In particular, the endoscopy package of some hospitals does not offer Helicobacter pylori tests.
Costs of Gastroscopy at Private Hospitals
| Private Hospitals |
Items |
Fees (HKD)* |
| Gastroscopy includes: basic medications & consumables, 1 endoscopic photo, general medical equipment, use of recovery room and 1 helicobacter pylori (CLO) test |
From $6,580 |
|
| Gastroscopy includes: surgery fee, endoscopy room fee (30 minutes), sedation with two drugs, 1 report with 8 images, 1 CLO test |
From $6,600 |
|
| Gastroscopy includes: endoscopist fee, endoscopy room charge, intravenous sedation (two sedatives), Oxygen inhalation, cardiac and SpO2 monitoring, dressing, video system charge, endoscope charge, 1 DVD, 1 photo, 1 CLO test, use of day recovery bed, CO2 insufflation, colonic washout (N/S 2L) |
From $7,230 |
*Prices as of 1st Dec 2020
Note: Some of the plans do not include special procedures. For detailed pricing, please contact respective hospital.
Costs of Gastroscopy at Medical Centres
| Medical Centres |
Items |
Fees (HKD)* |
| Gastroscopy package includes: Dormicum 5mg/5ml, Pethidine 50mg/1ml & 1 biopsy forceps, 1 photo report, Surgeon’s Fee, Intravenous (IV) Sedation Fee, Instrument Fee, Pathology Fee, Operation Theatre Fee, Pre-Consultation Fee, Post-operative Report Interpretation and all miscellaneous charges during the procedure. For OGD include 1 CLO-test. |
|
|
| Gastroscopy package includes: 1 photo report, Surgeon’s Fee, Intravenous (IV) Sedation Fee, Instrument Fee, Pathology Fee, Operation Theatre Fee, Pre-Consultation Fee, Post-operative Report Interpretation and all miscellaneous charges during the procedure. Gastroscopy Package also includes a H. Pylori Quick Test. |
|
|
| Gastroscopy package includes: 1 CLO test for Helicobacter pylori, Surgeon's Fee, Instrument Fee, Local Anaesthesia Fee, Pathology Fee, CO2 Fee, Operation Theatre Fee, an Endoscopy Report, Post-operative Medication Fee, Post-operative Report Interpretation and other miscellaneous charges during the procedure. |
|
*Prices as of 1st Dec 2020
Note: Some of the plans do not include special procedures. For detailed pricing, please contact respective medical centre.
Colonoscopy Process & Costs
A colonoscopy is an option for colon cancer screening, and it’s highly recommended for people aged 50 or older on a regular basis.
Colorectal cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented through examinations. But most of the early-stage colorectal cancers are asymptomatic with a long latent period. It is usually at the terminal stage of colorectal cancer when symptoms appear in the colonoscopy. In addition to colorectal cancer, anal cancer, polyps, diverticulum, enteritis, intestinal ulcer, vascular dysplasia, hemorrhoids and etc. can also be diagnosed by colonoscopy.
During the colonoscopy, the doctor will insert a tubular endoscope into the patient's anus to check whether ulcers, polyps or tumors exist in the large intestine. The doctor can also remove the polyps or take a biopsy for further testing at the same time. The intake of food containing fiber should be avoided for three to four days before the examination. The colonoscopy procedure takes around 20 to 30 minutes, and the recovery takes 1 to 3 hours in general. The average colonoscopy fee for day surgery is $7,193 while inpatient surgery generally costs $20,570.
Costs of Colonoscopy at Private Hospitals
| Private Hospitals |
Items |
Fees (HKD)* |
| Colonoscopy package includes: basic medications & consumables, 1 endoscopic photo, general medical equipment, use of recovery room |
From $9,110 |
|
| Colonoscopy package includes: surgery fee, endoscopy room fee (45 minutes), sedation with two drugs, 1 report with 8 images |
From $7,900 |
|
| Colonoscopy package includes: endoscopist fee, endoscopy room charge, intravenous sedation (two sedatives), Oxygen inhalation, cardiac and SpO2 monitoring, dressing, video system charge, endoscope charge, 1 DVD, 1 photo, 1 CLO test, use of day recovery bed, CO2 insufflation, colonic washout (N/S 2L) |
From $10,420 |
*Prices as of 1st Dec 2020
Note: Some of the plans do not include special procedures. For detailed pricing, please contact respective hospital.
Costs of Colonoscopy at Medical Centres
| Medical Centres |
Items |
Fees (HKD)* |
| Colonoscopy package includes: Dormicum 5mg/5ml, Pethidine 50mg/1ml & 1 biopsy forceps, 1 photo report, Surgeon’s Fee, Intravenous (IV) Sedation Fee, Instrument Fee, Pathology Fee, Operation Theatre Fee, Pre-Consultation Fee, Post-operative Report Interpretation and all miscellaneous charges during the procedure. For OGD include 1 CLO-test. |
|
|
| Colonoscopy package includes: 1 photo report, Surgeon’s Fee, Intravenous (IV) Sedation Fee, Instrument Fee, Pathology Fee, Operation Theatre Fee, Pre-Consultation Fee, Post-operative Report Interpretation and all miscellaneous charges during the procedure. Gastroscopy Package also includes a H. Pylori Quick Test. |
|
|
| Colonoscopy package includes: Laxative, Surgeon's Fee, Instrument Fee, Intravenous Sedation Fee, CO2 Fee, Operation Theatre Fee, an Endoscopy Report, Post-operative Medication Fee, Post-operative Report Interpretation and other miscellaneous charges during the procedure. |
|
*Prices as of 1st Dec 2020
Note: Some of the plans do not include special procedures. For detailed pricing, please contact respective medical centre.
Cataract Removal Process & Costs
A cataract is a common eye disease where 90% of the patients in Hong Kong suffer from it due to old age and the subsequent degeneration of the lens. Cataracts are mostly age-related, but might not impact vision until 60. It’s time to consider cataract surgery when you have dimmed or blurred vision.
Early-stage cataract may have no symptoms. Over time, the lens hardens and turns yellow or even brown, patients may also suffer from blurry vision, poor sensibility to luminosity and colors, appearance of halos, ghosting or overlapping of images, fluctuating or sudden myopia and so on.
The doctor will make a very tiny incision on the edge of your cornea to remove the cloudy lens from the eye and then implant the intraocular lens. The whole process simply takes 20 to 30 minutes, and the recovery generally takes 1 day. The average cataract operation cost for day surgery is $21,490 while inpatient surgery generally costs $32,847. Within 3 months after surgery, plastic sunglasses should be worn during daytime activities to avoid accidental injury or discomfort induced by photophobia. In addition, eye masks should be worn during sleep for about one to two weeks to avoid the reflexive act of rubbing eyes which can affect the healing of the wound.
Costs of Cataract Removal at Private Hospitals
| Private Hospitals |
Items (Single Eye) |
Fees (HKD)* |
| Phacoemulsification + Intraocular lens implantation (one eye) |
|
|
| Cataract Extraction and Monofocal Intraocular Lens (IOL) Implantation Surgery (one eye) |
$23,800 |
|
| Phacoemulsification + intraocular implantation (ONE eye only) |
Not specified |
*Prices as of 1st Dec 2020
Note: Some of the plans do not include special procedures. For detailed pricing, please contact respective hospital.
Costs of Cataract Removal at Medical Centres
| Medical Centres |
Items (Single Eye) |
Fees (HKD)* |
| Phacoemulsification + Intraocular lens implantation |
$15,000 |
|
| Phacoemulsification + Intraocular lens implantation |
$18,000 |
|
| Phacoemulsification + Intraocular lens implantation |
$18,000 |
*Prices as of 1st Dec 2020
Note: Some of the plans do not include special procedures. For detailed pricing, please contact respective medical centre.
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