Sickle cell anemia treatment in India is done by expert hematologists. These board certified super specialist hematologists are trained to handle all kinds and types of recurring and complex anemia and bone marrow diseases. Now a days there is much better prognosis of Sickle cell anemia because of latest drugs for treatment of cancer & technology to treat such rare disorders in India.

What is Sickle cell anemia ?

Red blood cells are flexible and round shaped and it moves very easily through blood vessels. In sickle cell anemia red blood cells shapes like sickle and they are not efficient enough to carry oxygen to other parts of the body and vice versa. When there is a malfunction in red blood cells then blood fails to carry oxygenated blood to different parts of our body and vice versa leading to organ malfunction. These sickle shaped cells easily get stuck with each other thus leading to malfunction in the red blood cells. Sickle cell anemia is a common inherited disorder.

What causes sickle cell anemia ?

Sickle cell anemia is an inherited disorder. A problem in the hemoglobin-beta gene found on chromosome 11. The defect forms abnormal hemoglobin molecules. Both of the parents needs to pass on the gene to the patient in order to develop the disease.

What are the types of sickle cell anemia ?

There are several different types of sickle cell anemia :

• Hemoglobin SC (usually mild)
• Hemoglobin Sβ thalassemia
• Hemoglobin SD
• Hemoglobin SE
• Hemoglobin SO

What are the symptoms of Sickle cell anemia ?

These common symptoms of rare disorders have been taken from Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) website. Given below are the most common symptoms of Sickle cell anemia :

• Anemia
• Arrhythmia (abnormal heart rate & irregular heart beat)
• Pallor
• Fever, chills
• Persistent fatigue, weakness
• Loss of appetite, nausea
• Unexplained weight loss
• Night sweats
• Bone/joint pain
• Abdominal discomfort
• Headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Frequent infections
• Itchy skin or skin rash

How Sickle cell anemia is diagnosed ?

There are variety of tests which are performed to confirm the diagnosis of sickle cell anemia :

• Blood tests
• Hb levels
• MRI scan
•  X ray
• Lymph node biopsies
• Bone marrow biopsies
• Liver function test
• Flow cytometry
• CT Scan
• PET Scan
• USG
• Cytogenetic testing

Problems associated with sickle cell anemia

There are certain problems arises because of sickle cell anemia :

• Stroke
• Acute chest syndrome
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Organ damage
• Blindness
• Leg ulcers
• Gallstones
• Priapism

Treatment of Sickle cell anemia in India

India adopts the guidelines followed world over for the treatment of Sickle cell anemia. Treatment will involve :

1. Antibiotics
2. Pain killerrs
3. Hydroxyurea
4. Bone marrow stem cell transplant

Bone marrow stem cell transplant is among the best options for the treatment of Sickle cell anemia. Top hematologists in India have successfully cured patients of Sickle cell anemia.

What is the cost of Sickle cell anemia treatment in India ?

Sickle cell anemia treatment cost in India may vary from hospital to hospital India. The total cost may vary between $ 5000 USD up to $ 45,000 USD depending up to the treatment required.

Which are the best hospitals for Sickle cell anemia treatment in  India ?

1. BLK Hospital, New Delhi
2. Artemis Hospital, Gurugram, Delhi NCR
3. American Oncology, Hyderabad
4. Mazumder Shaw Narayana, Bangalore
5. Narayana Multispecialty Hospital, Howrah
6. Fortis Hospital, Gurgaon
7. Apollo Cancer Institute, Hyderabad
8. Apollo cancer Institute, Chennai
9. Medanta medicity, Gurgaon
10. Dharamshila Hospital, Delhi

What are the formalities required for Sickle cell anemia treatment in India ?

Not much formalities are required for Sickle cell anemia treatment in India. Patient need medical visa and an attendant for travel to India.

Patients can simple WhatsApp their medical reports to +91 96 1588 1588. We issue medical visa letter to the patient. Patients can apply on evisa website for online visa application. Once that is done, patient can simply travel to India. He is picked up at the airport by hospital representatives and taken to the hospital to start the treatment.

Best doctors for sickle anemia treatment in India

Dr. Dharma Choudhary – BLK Bone Marrow Transplant Centre, New Delhi is arguably India’s leading doctor for bone marrow stem cell transplant with more than 2000 successful transplants to his credit. He is known for his successful career as a top BMT surgeon, Dr. Choudhary’s expertise in Thalassemia Bone Marrow Transplant, Thalassemia Stem Cell Transplant. Dr. Dharma Choudhary is the pioneer in India for his work in Allogenic Bone Marrow Transplant for Thalassemia Major and Aplastic Anemia during his period at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Delhi. Dr. Dharma Choudhary has made it to the list of top 10 Hematologists and Bone Marrow Transplant Specialist of this generation in India. Known for his High success rates in Bone Marrow Transplant, Dr. Dharma Choudhary is a lifelong member of the Indian Society of Hematology & Transfusion Medicine. He is also popular among international patients from different corners of the world mostly from Afghanistan, Iraq, Oman, Uzbekistan, Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Sharma is a practicing Hematologist with an experience of 19 years. He is located in New Delhi. Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Sharma practices at the BLK Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi. The BLK Super Speciality Hospital is situated at 5, Radha Soami Satsang Rajendra Place, Pusa Road, New Delhi. Sanjeev Kumar Sharma is an esteemed member of Registered member Indian Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (ISHTM), Registered member of Delhi Medical Association (DMA)Registered member Indian Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (ISHTM), Registered member of Delhi Medical Association (DMA) and Member of Indian Society for Atherosclerosis Research (ISAR).
He pursued his MBBS in the year 1999 from University Of Delhi, Delhi. He completed his MD in the year 2006 from University Of Delhi, Delhi. He has also done his DM in the year 2012 from All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Dr. Sanjeev has been awarded with Best Citizen of India Award.

Dr. Revathi Raj is a Hematologist and Pediatrician in Apollo Hospital, Teynampet, Chennai and has an experience of 24 years in these fields. Dr. Revathi Raj practices at Apollo Speciality Cancer Hospital in Teynampet, Chennai and Apollo Children’s Hospitals in Thousand Lights, Chennai. She completed MBBS from Madras University, Chenai, India in 1991,Diploma in Child Health (DCH) from The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University (TNMGRMU) in 1993 and FRC.PATH.(U.K.) from The Royal College of Pathologist in 2008. She is a member of Indian Medical Association (IMA). Some of the services provided by the doctor are: Eosinophilia Treatment,Neck Pain Treatment,Chelation Therapy,Biochemistry and Blood Transfusion etc. Dr Revathi is credited with one of the largest series in bone marrow transplants in the country. She has successfully treated hemophilia & sickle cell disease. She has specialist interest in blood disorders in children.

Dr. Sharat Damodar – Narayana Bone Marrow Transplant Centre, Bangalore Dr. Sharat Damodar completed his MBBS from St. Johns Medical College, Bangalore and later completed his MD from DNB college. He is currently serving as Vice President of Mazumdar Shaw Medical Centre, Narayana Health City. He is a celebrated Oncologist who has performed more than 1000 Bone Marrow & Stem Cell Transplants and also won Chairman’s Award for Best Doctor in 2015. Dr. Sharat field of expertise is bone marrow & stem cell transplant, cord blood transplantation & lymphoma. Key procedures performed by Dr. Sharat Damodar are Bone marrow & stem cell transplant, cord blood transplantation, leukemia / lymphoma. Dr Sharat has performed more than 1000 successful bone marrow stem cell transplants in his career til date.

Dr. Ramaswamy N V at Aster Medcity, Kochi is a Hematologist with more than 18 years of experience, Dr. Ramaswamy is an expert in management of malignant and non-malignant diseases of the blood, in patients of all ages. His areas of special interest are hemato oncology and stem cell transplant. Dr. Ramaswamy is expert in bone marrow stem cell transplant, prostate cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, & blood related disorders. He is specially interested in immunosuppressive drugs, targeted therapy, hodgkins lymphoma, myeloma, lymphoma, strocytoma, osteosarcoma, stereotactic radiosurgery, blood cancer, leukemia, sickle-cell anemia, germ cell tumour (GCT), thalassemia, non hodgkin lymphoma, and all forms, type and stages of cancer.

Dr. Pawan Kumar Singh – Artemis, Gurugram, Delhi (NCR) is having experience of performing more than 300 bone marrow transplants (including Autologous/Allogenic/Haplo/MUD) for both malignant and non-malignant blood disorders including thalassemia and aplastic anaemia. Done successful Haplo BMT for SCID in an 8 months old child. Successfully done MFD BMT for HLH in a 2 yr old child.
Individually set up BMT unit at Jaypee Hospital and made SOPs for each and every important steps for successfully running the BMT unit. Made BMT UNIT at Jaypee hospital the transplant centre for MUD transplant and got PBSC product from national (Datri) and international registry (DKMS). Performed 50 BMTs in last 18 months at Jaypee hospital (MSD/MFD-20; Haplo-6; Auto-2 and MUD-4).

Dr Joydeep Chakrabartty – Kolkata completed his MBBS from a renowned university in Calcutta and then went to the United Kingdom for his post graduate studies. He went on to obtain the MRCP (UK) and FRC PATH (UK), and FRCP (Glasgow) credentials during the course of his career. The latter being awarded for his role in leading and establishing services in Medicine. He has a special interest in the areas of Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT), especially mis-matched high end transplants for all conditions especially Acute Leukemias. He has worked in reputed institutes in the UK including St Bartholomews Hospital and in the prestigious Bone Marrow Transplant Fellowship at The Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, London.
Dr. Joydeep Chakrabartty has worked for many years in Medicine and in reputed Critical care units before taking up Hematology. He has encountered and managed not only all hematological emergencies and conditions but his previous general medicine and ICU exposure gives him the edge in managing very sick patients i.e. patients undergoing Bone Marrow Transplant, Acute Leukemia’s etc. He is also very competent in the laboratory diagnostic part of hematological diseases. Upon his return, Dr. Chakrabartty helped in the formation and successful running of many Bone Marrow Transplant departments across the country. Dr. Joydeep Chakrabartty has written many articles for leading journals and has also written chapters in text books.

Dr Radheshyam Naik at Bangalore is the pioneer in the field of Medical Oncology with more than 25 years of strong academic experience in his field. He received advanced training from the world’s leading institutions including M.D. Anderson Cancer Institute, USA, International School for Cancer Care, Oxford, UK, University of New South Wales,  Australia,  to name a few.
Regarded as an eminent oncologist and having experience of visiting renowned cancer hospitals around the world, Dr. Radheshyam has had an excellent academic career in managing all types of cancer and haematological disorders, with several peer-reviewed publications in leading journals.  He is pioneer in conducting various Drug trials conducted over 50 chemotherapy drugs in nationally and internationally trials.
He has special interest in Bone Marrow Transplant programme and also undergone advanced trainings at Hadassah University, Israel; Detroit medical center, The New York hospital USA , Cornell Medical center and at Harper Hospital, Michigan, USA.
Dr. Radheshyam has been a major contributor in developing the field of Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation in Karnataka.  He performed the first intra-arterial chemotherapy through port in Karnataka and also is credited for performing the first Bone Marrow Transplant in Karnataka.

Dr. Shrinath Kshirsagar is hematologist/ hemato-oncologist and bone marrow transplant physician based in Mumbai. He has over 8 years of experience in this field. He has completed his super-specialty training from prestigious Tata Medical Center. He was a part of team which did more than 200 bone marrow transplants over two years. He has many national and international publications. He was principle investigator in one of the clinical trial in the field of leukemia. Key procedures performed by Dr. Srinath are Bone marrow & stem cell transplant, cord blood transplantation, leukemia / lymphoma. Significant advances have been made in understanding the biology of Leukemia over the last few decades. This has translated to recognition of novel targets for therapy, novel therapeutic options and targeted therapy which have in turn significantly improved the clinical outcomes of patients with Leukemia. Dr. Shrinath Shirsagar is the well Experienced doctor for such advanced Leukemia and Lymphoma treatment in Mumbai. With the 8 years of experience He is specially interested in immunosuppressive drugs, targeted therapy, Hodgkins lymphoma, myeloma, lymphoma, strocytoma, osteosarcoma, stereotactic radiosurgery, blood cancer, leukemia, sickle-cell anemia, germ cell tumour (GCT), thalassemia, Non Hodgkin lymphoma, and all forms, type and stages of cancer.