Acromegaly Treatment Cost in India

Acromegaly is a hormonal condition that occurs when your pituitary gland releases excessive amounts of growth hormone in adulthood.

When you have excessive growth hormone, your bones develop in size. This causes gigantism in children. In adulthood, however, there is no variation in height. Instead, the growth in bone size is limited to the bones of your hands, feet, and face, and is known as “Acromegaly in India”.

When high levels of growth hormone are left untreated, it can impact other sections of the body in addition to your bones. This can result in serious, even life-threatening, health complications. However, Acromegaly Treatment in India may reduce your chance of developing issues and considerably improve your symptoms, including facial enlargement.

What Is Acromegaly Condition

Acromegaly is a rare but devastating medical disorder caused by excessive levels of growth hormone (GH) in the body. Acromegaly is caused by tumors on your pituitary gland or in other parts of your body that create excess GH.

The pituitary gland is a small pea-sized endocrine gland observed near the base of the brain, beneath the hypothalamus. Your pituitary gland secretes eight essential hormones, one of which is GH.

Growth hormone, also known as Human Growth Hormone (hGH) and somatotropin, is a natural hormone that promotes growth in children by acting on many different regions of the body. Once your bones’ growth plates (epiphyses) have fused, GH ceases to promote height, but your body still requires it. After you’ve stopped growing, GH helps to maintain proper bone, cartilage, and organ structure and metabolism, including maintaining healthy blood glucose (sugar) levels.

As an adult, having too much GH in your body can cause abnormally shaped bones, enlarged organ size, raised blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia), and other symptoms.

Acromegaly (extra growth hormone) causes bones, cartilage, bodily organs, and other tissues to increase in size in adulthood. Changes in appearance include larger hands, feet, ears, lips, and nose, as well as a more prominent jaw and forehead.

Growth hormone (GH) stimulates the production of another hormone known as insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 is the hormone that stimulates bone and tissue growth as well as influences how your body handles blood glucose (sugar) and lipids (fats). High GH levels cause high IGF-1 levels, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), and heart disease.

What Are the Symptoms of Acromegaly

Acromegaly affects the bones and tissues of adults, causing them to grow in an inconsistent manner.

Signs and Symptoms of Acromegaly in Adulthood are following :

• Hands or feet that are larger than normal.
• Changes in your facial form, such as a larger jaw and/or forehead.
• Expand the size of your lips, nose, and/or tongue.
• Sweating excessively or having oily skin.
• Your voice is becoming stronger and louder.

Other signs and symptoms include:

• Headaches.
• Joint discomfort.
• Vision shifts.
• The amount of skin tags has increased.
• You have numbness in your hands.
• Apnea when sleeping.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome or problems with the spinal cord.

Acromegaly symptoms frequently appear gradually and may be difficult to detect at first. Some people find out their hands have grown in size when rings they habitually wear become too tight or their shoe size, particularly the width, changes.

If you are having the above mentioned symptoms, you should consult with your doctor immediately. Acromegaly usually develops steadily. Even your family members may miss the minor physical changes caused by this condition at first. However, early diagnosis is important so that you can begin receiving adequate care. If untreated, acromegaly can cause major health complications.

What Are the Causes of Acromegaly

The most common Cause of acromegaly is a pituitary adenoma, which causes your pituitary gland to release excessive growth hormone (GH).

The pituitary gland is a small gland situated at the base of your brain, behind your nose bridge. It is responsible for the production of GH as well as a variety of other hormones. GH plays an important role in controlling your physical growth.

Pituitary adenomas (tumors) are usually always noncancerous (harmless). Most adenomas that cause acromegaly grow slowly, and signs of excess GH may not appear for several years.

The adenoma may press against other pituitary tissue and disrupt with other hormones produced by your pituitary gland, depending on its size and location. If the adenoma is large, it may press against surrounding brain areas, causing headaches and vision issues.

How Is the Diagnosis of Acromegaly Done

Your doctor will ask about your medical history and perform a physical examination. Then he or she may suggest the following measures for the diagnosis of Acromegaly:

• IGF-1 Levels Measurement: After you’ve fasted overnight, your doctor will collect a blood sample to figure out the level of IGF-1 in your blood. A high IGF-1 level signifies acromegaly.
• Growth Hormone Suppression Test: It is the most accurate way of verifying an acromegaly diagnosis. During this test, your GH blood level is determined both before and after you drink a sugar (glucose) preparation. The glucose drink often causes the GH level to fall in persons who do not have acromegaly. However, if you have acromegaly, your GH level will remain elevated.
• Imaging tests: Such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), may be recommended by your doctor in order to pinpoint the location and size of a tumor on your pituitary gland. If there are no pituitary tumors found, your doctor may conduct additional imaging tests to screen for non pituitary tumors.

If you’ve been diagnosed with acromegaly, your doctor may recommend additional testing to see whether the problem has spread to other parts of your body. Among these tests are:

• An echocardiography is used to diagnose cardiac problems.
• Sleep study tests are used to detect sleep apnea.
• A colonoscopy is used to evaluate the health of your colon.
• X-rays or a DEXA (DXA) scan can be used to evaluate bone health.

Acromegaly Treatment Cost in India

Affordable Acromegaly Treatment Cost in India starts from INR 4,75,000 (5,700 USD). After the treatment in India, your hospital stay is 4 days and seven days beyond the hospital. Factors that can affect Acromegaly Treatment Cost in India: Based on the size and location of the tumor, a method employed for elimination, the success rate is greater than 95%. Factors Affecting the Cost of Acromegaly Treatment in India are the following: 

• The type of hospital chosen by the patient
• Room –Standard single room, deluxe room, super deluxe room for the number of nights specified (including nursing fee, meals, room rate, and room service).
• Operating room, ICU
• Fee for the team of doctors 
• Medicines
• Standard test and diagnostic procedures

Depending on the treatment options :

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy