There was a time when doing a search for “India” and “surgery” on the internet simply came up with reports about knee operations on cricketers from the sub-continent. No longer. Now dozens of agencies and hospitals offering top-quality surgery at rock-bottom prices top the listings.

In just five years health tourism to India has exploded, with hospitals currently estimated to treat 150,000 foreigners a year. A Confederation of Indian Industry report predicts that medical tourism will be worth $1 billion to the economy by 2012.

Agencies that specialise in putting prospective patients in touch with Indian hospitals claim that the industry is growing at the rate of 30 per cent a year. That projection may not be as optimistic as it sounds, given that the Government is unashamedly encouraging foreigners to come to India for treatment ranging from heart surgery to breast enlargements, dental checkups and Ayurvedic medicine.

Official figures indicate that visitors from 55 countries come to India for treatment but the biggest growth in business is from the UK and America.

Four years ago the first trickle of British patients, frustrated by long NHS waiting lists and the high cost of private surgery, began to organise operations abroad. James Campbell, from Aberdeenshire, flew to Ahmedabad in 2003 for a double knee replacement at less than half the cost of private treatment in the UK, after organising the trip and treatment himself.

Now an agency such as the Taj Medical Group receives 200 inquiries a day from around the world and arranges packages for 20-40 Britons a month to have operations in India. Taj also offers follow-up appointments with a consultant in the UK.

“Generally people don’t see any difference in the care they receive in India from private care in the UK,” says Dipa Jethwa, of the Taj group.

Why is India so popular? Cost is the driving factor. Patients wanting prompt private treatment usually pay 20-50 per cent of the UK cost for surgery. A single knee replacement in the UK costs about £9,000 but a Madras clinic quotes the operation at £2,150. The agency Surgery Abroad International offers breast enlargement operations in India for £1,000, compared with about £3,500.

The quality of medical facilities and staff in India is increasingly rated internationally. About £50 million has been invested by private healthcare companies in India in the past decade.

In addition, about 75 per cent of healthcare services in India are now in the private sector and new private hospitals with state of the art equipment have been built in many of the big cities. The Indian Tourist Board lists dozens of recommended hospitals for cardiology, orthopaedics, keyhole surgery, oncology, cosmetic surgery and holistic healthcare on its website (www.incredibleindia.org). There is also a good supply of well-qualified doctors and experienced surgeons.

With more Indian hospitals admitting foreign patients, it is easier for tourists to arrange their own surgery there but packages offered by agencies make organisation simpler.

The Department of Health advises anybody considering surgery abroad to consider every angle first. “Think about the standard of the facility, the qualifications and experience of the doctor and what you can do if something goes wrong,” a spokesman says.

David Hancock, author of The Complete Medical Tourist (John Blake Publishing, £9.99) advises prospective patients to consider the cost of taking a companion and to check post-operative support offered by the hospital.

“Ask for testimonials of patients who have undergone procedures at the medical facility,” he says. “Contact the people personally to make sure there were no later complications.”

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