Pricelist/cost of surgery in Nigeria

In this article, I am going to give you a compilation of names of surgeries and their cost by enlightening us on how the cost of operation is arrived at or calculated in hospitals.

The factors that determine the cost of surgery are:

  • Hospital: Government owned or privately owned? Some hospitals are more expensive than others whichever way you look at it. Surgeries in some private hospitals are far more on the high side compared to government owned hospitals. For example, the prices of surgeries in private hospitals like Lily, Cedacrest, Reddington, St. Nicholas, and Leo hospitals are high compared to public hospitals.
  • Location: People pay more for surgeries in big cities like Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt compared to other areas.
  • Surgeon: Some surgeons charge more for their procedures than others.
  • Age: Operation on babies and very old patient are more expensive. However, considerations are often given to babies cost-wise. It is just the unwritten rule.
  • Procedure: Is it laparoscopic on traditional surgery? Laparoscopic surgeries are expensive because very few doctors have the expertise right now in Nigeria.
  • Type of surgery: Is it an elective surgery or an emergency? Diseases that require an emergency intervention are more expensive than the one ones that are planned (elective).
  • Specialty: Neurosurgeons and Plastic Surgeons charges more compared to other specialties.
  • Drugs: The cost of medications before, during and after the surgery affects the final cost of surgery.
  • Hospital stay: The number of days you will stay after the operation are normally included in the surgery cost.
  • Blood: Will you be transfused before, during or after the operation? This will add to the cost of surgery if you are given blood.
  • Anaesthesia: The anaesthetist is paid differently from the surgeon.The type of anaesthesia may be local, spinal or general. Anaesthetist charge more for general and spinal than local. The cost of anaesthesia is incorporated into the final cost of surgery.
  • Your clinical state: Some doctors put this into consideration when calculating cost.
  • Tests: Perhaps the most important. Series of investigations are carried out before the actual surgery. Tests like blood tests, X-ray, CT scan, Ultrasound and even MRI are expensive and they add to the cost of surgery.
Cost of surgery
Surgery and money goes together.
Credit: Chicago Tribune

Now all these were put into consideration to arrived at the price list of Surgery below….

Price list/Cost of common surgeries in Nigeria

  1. Myomectomy (fibroid removal surgery) – #250,000 to #500,000 Naira.
  2. Mastectomy (Breast removal surgery) – #280,000 to #400,000 Naira.
  3. Cataract surgery- #400,000 to #1 million Naira. Sometimes some NGOs and state government may sponsor free cataract surgery .
  4. Thyroidectomy (Goitre surgery) – #280,000 to #400,000 naira.
  5. Lipoma excision- #70,000 to #150,000 Naira.
  6. Incision and drainage( I and D): Depends on the organ and part of the body. It is between #50,000 to #100,000 Naira on not very ‘vital’ organs.
  7. Ingrown toenail removal: Between #50,000 to 70,000 Naira.
  8. Tonsillectomy: Removal of the tonsils. It cost between 200,000 to #350,000.
  9. Hysterectomy: Surgical removal of the womb. The operation cost around #350,000 to #550,000.
  10. Skin grafting : surgery that involves taking a piece of skin mostly from your thigh to patch up a chronic leg ulcer. It cost around #350,000 to #500,000 Naira.
  11. Venous stripping/nipping: Surgery used to remove ugly varicose veins especially from the legs. Varicose vein surgery cost around #450,000 to #600,000 Naira.
  12. Exploratory Laparotomy: Cost around #330,000 to #500,000 Naira. Laparoscopic laparatomy cost around #700,000 to 1.5million Naira.
  13. Appendectomy: #190,000 to #350,000.
  14. Cesaerean Section: C-section cost about #280,000 to #500,000 depending on if it is elective or and an emergency.
  15. Prostatectomy: Surgical removal of the prostate in men. It cost about #400,000 to #800,000 Naira.
  16. Hemorrhoidectomy: Surgical removal of hemorrhoids or piles. Pile surgery price is #180,000 to #300,000 Naira.
  17. Open reduction, Internal fixation (ORIF): An orthopedic Surgery for bone fractures. It cost around #280,000 to #350,000 Naira.
  18. Below Knee Amputation: A surgery performed mostly on diabetic patients with unsalvageable diabetic foot ulcer. It cost around #300,000 to #450,000 Naira.
  19. Circumcision: Cost around #20,000 to #25,000 Naira.
  20. Repair of penile fracture: About #400,000 to #900,000 Naira.
  21. Breast lump removal surgery cost in Nigeria (lumpectomy): Around #50,000 to #60,000 Naira. Here the breast is preserved. Only the lump is removed compared to mastectomy .
  22. Hydrocelectomy: Surgical removal of water containing bag around the testes of babies. This surgery should not be rushed because it may resolve on its own after 2 years of your baby’s life. If it does not resolve, hydrocelectomy should be done immediately by a Pediatric Surgeon . The procedure cost around #100,000 to #120,000 Naira .
  23. Hypospadia and Epispadia repair: Around #170,000 to #190,000 Naira.
  24. Ectopic pregnancy surgery : Around #300,000 to #500,000 naira especially if it is ruptured.
  25. Hernia repair in Children: It could be inguinal or umbilical hernia. Hernia surgery in children cost around #80,000 to #110,000 Naira. Read other things about hernia surgery here
  26. Brain Surgery : Most brain surgeries on Nigeria cost around #950,000 to 1.5 million Naira or even more.
  27. Laminectomy: A surgery done for persons with disc prolapse and chronic low back pain. It cost around #500,000 to #700,000 naira.
  28. Splenectomy: Around #200,000 to #250,000 Naira.
  29. Orchidectomy: Surgery done for people with prostate cancer. It involves removal of the testes. It cost around #250,000 to #300,000 naira.
  30. Ganglion cyst removal surgery: Cost around #50,000 to #80,000 Naira.
  31. Exploration for torsion testes: An emergency surgery to save the testes from dying and prevent the other testes from suffering similar fate. It cost around #180,000 to #200,000 naira.
  32. Total hip replacement surgery: 1.5 million naira per hip and 3 million naira for both hips.
  33. Knee Replacement Surgery: Between #800,000 to 1 million naira per knee.
  34. Cervical Cerclage: Around #40,000 to #60,000 naira.
  35. Cholecystectomy: surgical removal of the gall bladder. A procedure done by the general surgeon. It cost around #200,000 to #250,000 naira.
  36. Hand Surgeries: Done for hand injuries. It involves nerve repair and vascular repair. The price of hand surgery is around #200,000 to #400,000 naira.
  37. Varicocelectomy: A surgery done to remove scrotal “bag of worms”. It is around #170,000 to #200,000 naira.
  38. Total Abdominal Hysterectomy and Bilateral Salpingo-ophorectomy (TAH + BSO): Done for women with ovarian cancer. It involves the removal of the uterus, the Fallopian tubes and the ovaries. The surgery cost around #260,000 to #350,000 naira.
  39. Plastic Surgery: I have already discussed this extensively in this page.
  40. Wound debridement: A surgery done to remove dead tissues from a wound to enable wound healing. The cost of surgery is around #60,000 to #100,000 naira.
  41. Repair of intussuception and aganglionic megacolon: Around #160,000 to #200,000 naira.
  42. Repair of imperforate anus: A procedure by pediatric surgeon to construct an anus for a baby bone without anus. Cost of surgery is around #300,000 to #500,000 naira. It is a staged surgery.
  43. Corneal transplant: Cost around #1- #2 million naira.
  44. Retinal Detachment Surgery: Around #1.5 – #3 million Naira.
  45. Squint/Strabismus surgery cost in Nigeria: Around #400,000 to #600,000 naira.
  46. Vitrectomy: A surgical procedure performed by an ophthalmologist to remove gel or blood from the eye or gain access to the back of the eye for retina surgery. It improves vision. Cost of surgery is around #800,000 to 1.5 million naira.
  47. Repair of anal fistula: price is around #150,000 to #200,000 naira.
  48. Marsupialization: Surgery for drainage of Bartholin’s cyst or abscess in women. It cost between #100,000 to #150,000 naira.
  49. Kidney stones surgery ( Lithotripsy) : #400,000 to 600,000 naira.
  50. Cost if pelvic organ prolapse (uterine or vaginal prolapse) : #200,000 Naira or less.
  51. cost of ectopic pregnancy surgery in nigeria: #200,000 Naira or less if not ruptured.
  52. cost of laparoscopic surgery for fibroids in nigeria: N500,000 to 1million Naira
  53. Open prostatectomy is around #150,000 naira
  54. TURP is around #250,000 naira
  55. Kidney stone removal surgery (open) is #150,000 naira
  56. Emergency surgery for torsion testis: #79,000
  57. Wound debridement cost about #50,000
  58. Urethroplasty cost about #100,000
  59. Prostate biopsy is around #20,000 -#30,000
  60. Laser surgery for kidney stones is #400,000
  61. Liver biopsy cost about #50,000
  62. Laparoscopic appendectomy: N200,000 naira
  63. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: #280,000 naira
  64. Skin grafting: #400,000

This page has been updated to reflect current economic realities in Nigeria and globally.

I hope this was helpful?

Please leave a comment.

Read more about surgery on Wikipedia.

122 COMMENTS

  1. Thank you very much for this article very helpful my aunty is preparing to go for a knee replacement surgery on her both knees but we are located in the east so we don’t know if enugu is a better choice plz can you recommend

  2. Thank you for the enlightening article. Which hospital is best for total hip replacement in the south western part of Nigeria. How is the healing rate for a sickle cell that wants to undergo hip replacement.

    • You mean ear reconstructive surgery.. Ear reconstructive surgery cost around 300,000 per ear or more. It is a serial surgery…. meaning it is not done once but close to 3 times to fully reconstruct the ear. Pinnaplasty is expensive.

  3. Good evening,thanks for been of help Sir!
    I want to inquire the cost price for a feet or foot reduction, especially within portharcourt. Or Lagos because the price is not included someone needs it.thank you

    • Hydrocephalus surgery is a neurosurgery case. The surgery to correct hydrocephalus is called Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt or ventriculo-atrial shunt. Hydrocephalus surgery in a private hospital is around #2.5 million Naira. Public hospitals may charge less say 1 million Naira. Thank you.

  4. Thank you for your great work. Please what is the cost of a genu velgum correction surgery in a private hospital and the success rate.

  5. Please can you recommend a very good hospital or pediatric surgeon for hydrocele treatment in Nigeria, mostly in South East to be precise.

  6. Lily Warri hospital quoting N33 million for exploratory laparotomy, have broken ribs, coughing up blood possible spleen or liver damage. Vehicle accident and beaten with pipes by hijackers in chest. This cost seems extremely high. Where should I go instead. Getting worse

  7. Good morning,how much will it cost for Retinal detachment surgeon for a 22 years old boy and which hospital would be the best?

  8. Thanks for this article
    Twas really helpful

    Pls which hospital is the best for performing Laminectomy?
    Is Ubth or Isth good enough?

  9. Bro please which hospital is best in Nigeria for footballers, any government hospital ?
    Or to say a sports doctor in Nigeria
    Please I really need to see one to know the situation of my knee as I have done the necessary scan but not showing if I’m injured or not, I still feel pain and knee not balance if I try to play.

  10. I have a case of the knee leaving its position. Now it is located below the knee joint as a result of ruptured tendon and ligaments. Please how much could it cost.

  11. Laparoscopic appendectomy: N200,000: is this realistic in Nigeria of today? Or does it depend on the healthcare facility?

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here