Treatments

In the UK you wait months. In Durban you’re treated within your visit.

The pattern is the same across every specialty — at a fraction of UK private cost. Below, each specialty carries the NHS backlog position, the anchor hospital’s matching capability, and the procedure detail.

Orthopaedics

NHS position: Largest NHS specialty backlog (~836,000–860,000 pathways); median ~15.2 weeks, routine cases often several months to a year
Anchor hospital: Orthopaedic Institute — joint replacement, sports medicine, trauma, spine, arthroscopy; preferred provider to the Sharks rugby team

Procedure	Typical NHS wait	Durban lead time	UK private	Durban (guide price)
Hip replacement	~15 wks–12+ months	days–2 wks	£12,549–14,158	£8,236–10,000
Knee replacement	~15 wks–12+ months	days–2 wks	£13,149–14,542	£8,236–10,000
Shoulder replacement / rotator cuff repair	~15 wks–months	days–3 wks	£5,149–12,749	£2,750–7,870
ACL reconstruction (knee ligament)	~15 wks–months	days–3 wks	£7,399	£2,750–5,500
Knee arthroscopy	~15 wks–months	days–2 wks	£5,899	£1,180–3,935
Spinal decompression / lumbar discectomy Estimated from comparable major-surgery hospital fees (laparoscopic hysterectomy R55,350) plus typical surgeon and anaesthetist fees. Simple decompression only — fusion or fixation hardware would cost materially more.	Often several months–1 yr	days–3 wks	£8,849	£4,348–6,407 est.
Carpal tunnel release	~15 wks–months	days–2 wks	£2,000–2,900	£1,112
Trigger finger release	~15 wks–months	days–2 wks	£1,800–2,600	£1,034
Ganglion removal	~15 wks–months	days–2 wks	£1,600–2,400	£998

Ophthalmology

NHS position: Highest-volume NHS specialty (~596,000+ pathways); cataract & routine waits commonly months
Anchor hospital: Ophthalmology available in Durban private hospitals (confirm Busamed on-site scope)

Procedure	Typical NHS wait	Durban lead time	UK private	Durban (guide price)
Cataract surgery (per eye) Hospital fee — surgeon, anaesthetist and implants extra.	weeks–several months	days–2 wks	£1,995–2,891	£512–1,094
Laser eye surgery / LASIK (per eye)	private-only (elective)	days–2 wks	£1,500–2,800	£687–1,144
Glaucoma laser (SLT) / trabeculectomy Estimated. Lower bound is an outpatient SLT laser; upper bound is trabeculectomy in theatre, derived from the cataract hospital fee of R11,180 plus doctor fees.	months (routine)	days–weeks	£950–4,200	£366–1,465 est.
YAG laser capsulotomy Estimated. Outpatient laser, no theatre time — the least expensive procedure on this list.	weeks–months	days–weeks	£550–700	£206–366 est.
Pterygium removal	months	days–2 wks	£1,500–2,500	£618

Cardiac / Cardiology

NHS position: ~383,000–397,000 cardiac pathways; median ~11 weeks; symptomatic cases prioritised
Anchor hospital: Cardio & Vascular Institute; 150+ TAVI; 2 cath labs; interventional, structural heart, EP/ablation, cardiothoracic surgery

Procedure	Typical NHS wait	Durban lead time	UK private	Durban (guide price)
Diagnostic coronary angiogram	~11 wks median	days–2 wks	£2,660–4,000	£1,150–2,060
Coronary angioplasty + stent (PCI)	~11 wks; often expedited	days–weeks	£7,000–15,000	£5,490–12,815
Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)	weeks–several months	days–weeks	£15,000–30,000	£11,700–27,300
Pacemaker implantation	~11 wks median	days–weeks	£9,000–22,000	£9,460–16,590
TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve) Estimated, and dominated by the valve device itself rather than hospital time. Capability confirmed at the anchor hospital (150+ cases); price requires their quote.	structural-heart wait; often months	days–weeks	—	£20,595–29,748 est.

Urology

NHS position: Urology median ~11 weeks; cancer pathway via 2-week-wait but time-to-surgery often weeks
Anchor hospital: Robotic urology on the only da Vinci Xi in KZN (radical prostatectomy); 250+ robotic cases across programme

Procedure	Typical NHS wait	Durban lead time	UK private	Durban (guide price)
Robotic radical prostatectomy (prostate cancer) Estimated. Reflects robotic console time and single-use instruments on top of a major urological procedure. Robotic prostatectomy on the da Vinci Xi at the anchor hospital is publicly confirmed.	cancer pathway; weeks to surgery	days–weeks	£20,000–40,000	£8,238–11,899 est.
TURP (prostate, BPH)	~11 wks median	days–weeks	£5,175–7,600	£740–1,780
Kidney stone removal / lithotripsy Estimated from the published TURP band (R16,188–38,850) adjusted for laser fibre and stent.	~11 wks median	days–weeks	£2,700–6,000	£1,281–2,197 est.
Circumcision (adult)	often not NHS-funded	days–2 wks	£1,500–2,500	£810
Vasectomy	varies by trust	days–2 wks	£500–1,000	£824

Gynaecology

NHS position: ~565,000–570,000 pathways; only ~57% within 18 weeks; total pathway can average ~65 weeks
Anchor hospital: Robotic gynaecology on da Vinci Xi; gynae-oncology in the Oncology Centre

Procedure	Typical NHS wait	Durban lead time	UK private	Durban (guide price)
Hysterectomy (laparoscopic) Hospital fee — surgeon, anaesthetist and implants extra.	~15+ wks; long total pathway	days–3 wks	£7,399–11,000	£2,533
Hysteroscopy	~15+ wks	days–2 wks	£2,199–3,500	£742–1,588
Ovarian cyst removal (laparoscopic) Hospital fee — surgeon, anaesthetist and implants extra.	~15+ wks	days–2 wks	£3,799–5,899	£1,510
Diagnostic laparoscopy / endometriosis	~15+ wks	days–2 wks	£3,000–5,000	£1,510
Laparoscopic female sterilisation	~15+ wks	days–2 wks	£2,500–4,000	£1,849
Colposcopy and LLETZ	~15+ wks	days–2 wks	£1,200–2,200	£1,053

General surgery

NHS position: General surgery elective waits ~13–20+ weeks
Anchor hospital: General Surgery & Medicine centre of excellence; robotic colorectal

Procedure	Typical NHS wait	Durban lead time	UK private	Durban (guide price)
Gallbladder removal (lap. cholecystectomy) Hospital fee — surgeon, anaesthetist and implants extra.	~13–20+ wks (often months)	days–4 wks	£5,250–10,200	£1,467
Inguinal hernia repair	~13–18+ wks	days–2 wks	£3,100–3,500	£1,117–1,854
Haemorrhoidectomy Hospital fee — surgeon, anaesthetist and implants extra.	~13–18+ wks	days–2 wks	£3,399–4,546	£790
Varicose vein treatment (EVLA)	often not NHS-funded / 18+ wks	days–2 wks	£399–5,260	£236–1,575
Umbilical hernia repair	~13–18+ wks	days–2 wks	£2,800–3,800	£2,426
Appendicectomy (laparoscopic) Hospital fee — surgeon, anaesthetist and implants extra.	emergency pathway	days	£4,500–7,500	£1,496

Bariatric / weight-loss surgery

NHS position: NHS bariatric waits notoriously long — 18 months to 3+ years after tier-3 programme
Anchor hospital: General/bariatric surgery available in Durban (confirm Busamed on-site)

Procedure	Typical NHS wait	Durban lead time	UK private	Durban (guide price)
Gastric sleeve (sleeve gastrectomy)	18 mo–3+ yrs (NHS)	days–weeks	£8,799–12,000	£4,600–6,900
Gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y)	18 mo–3+ yrs (NHS)	days–weeks	£9,899–13,000	£5,950–7,100
Gastric band	18 mo–3+ yrs (rarely NHS now)	days–weeks	£7,000–9,000	£3,150–5,950

Paediatric ENT

NHS position: 18-week target routinely breached; children commonly wait 6–12+ months
Anchor hospital: ENT / general surgical capability (confirm paediatric scope with hospital)

Procedure	Typical NHS wait	Durban lead time	UK private	Durban (guide price)
Grommets / tympanostomy tubes (child) Hospital fee — surgeon, anaesthetist and implants extra.	6–12+ months	days–3 wks	£2,000–2,750	£317–609
Adeno-tonsillectomy (child)	months–1+ yr	days–weeks	£2,950–5,500	£365–764
Septoplasty (nasal septum reconstruction)	months	days–2 wks	£2,800–4,500	£1,140

Fertility

NHS position: IVF is a postcode lottery; 6–12+ months where funded, many not funded at all
Anchor hospital: IVF via SA fertility network (Vitalab has an Umhlanga/Durban branch)

Procedure	Typical NHS wait	Durban lead time	UK private	Durban (guide price)
IVF — one fresh cycle (own eggs)	6–12+ months / rationed	weeks (cycle-timed)	£3,500–7,000	£2,060–5,490

Surgical oncology

NHS position: 62-day cancer treatment target ~68.4% met (vs 85%); frequently breached
Anchor hospital: Oncology Centre of Excellence — MDT model, Varian Halcyon Hypersight radiotherapy, surgical oncology (breast, colorectal, gynae-onc, prostate)

Clinical governance. Time-critical cancer is not a queue-skipping product. Kiros Healthcare presents oncology only as coordinated, MDT-led care delivered in step with the patient’s home oncology team — staging, histology, and continuity of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and follow-up. Any figures here are guide prices only.

Procedure	Typical NHS wait	Durban lead time	UK private	Durban (guide price)
Mastectomy / breast cancer surgery	62-day target (~68% met)	days–2 wks to surgery once worked up	£3,000–8,000	£3,900–11,800
Colorectal cancer resection (colectomy) Estimated for a major resection with a stapled anastomosis. Robotic colorectal surgery is confirmed at the anchor hospital.	62-day target (~68% met)	days–2 wks to surgery once staged	£17,000–30,000	£7,323–10,984 est.

Diagnostics & day-case (already in dataset)

NHS position: Endoscopy & diagnostics backlogs; long routine waits
Anchor hospital: Full diagnostic imaging & endoscopy

Procedure	Typical NHS wait	Durban lead time	UK private	Durban (guide price)
Gastroscopy Hospital fee — surgeon, anaesthetist and implants extra.	weeks–months	days–2 wks	£1,200–3,200	£171–229
Colonoscopy Hospital fee — surgeon, anaesthetist and implants extra.	weeks–months	days–2 wks	£1,849–4,500	£268–337
Single dental implant (restored)	private-only (elective)	days–weeks	£1,800–4,200	£687–1,373

Durban figures are guide prices. Every case is assessed individually, and your final cost is confirmed in writing for your own case before you commit to anything. Guide prices can move with the procedure actually required, the implants or consumables used, length of stay and the exchange rate. Rows marked est. are our own planning estimates where no hospital publishes a price, and each states how it was derived. Rows marked on request we quote case by case.

Prices and waits are drawn from our procedure dataset at a planning rate of £1 = R21.85Source 1: [1]. Every figure carries a confidence rating and a stated basis in the underlying dataset. No figure here is a quote.