Ireland · Heart bypass surgery
HSE heart bypass surgery waiting time vs paying privately or going abroad
Prices checked 27 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
Cardio-thoracic surgery as a whole, not bypass alone: 828 adults on the inpatient/day-case list, 376 of them waiting over 6 months (63 over 18 months); another 429 waiting for a first cardio-thoracic outpatient appointment: about 45% waiting over 6 months (all cardio-thoracic surgery) (Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026). Published prices abroad start at €8,900 in Lithuania, before travel.
- Official wait
- About 45% waiting over 6 months (all cardio-thoracic surgery) (24 September 2026)
- Pay at home
- Not verified
- Abroad, before travel
- about €8,900 to €31,060 in 3 countries
- Paid by the HSE?
- Not reviewed yet
The official waiting figure
- About 45% waiting over 6 months (all cardio-thoracic surgery) — Cardio-thoracic surgery as a whole, not bypass alone: 828 adults on the inpatient/day-case list, 376 of them waiting over 6 months (63 over 18 months); another 429 waiting for a first cardio-thoracic outpatient appointment. Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026. National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF).
Irish waiting lists come from the National Treatment Purchase Fund's open data (NTPF). The HSE runs two schemes that can pay towards treatment in the EU; see Will the HSE pay for treatment abroad?
Paying privately in Ireland
We have not yet verified a published self-pay price.
Published prices abroad, in EUR
Converted at the European Central Bank rate and rounded; before travel and time off work.
| Country | Price range | Difference vs lowest home price |
|---|---|---|
| Heart bypass surgery in Lithuania | about €8,900 | — |
| Heart bypass surgery in Malaysia | about €13,120 to €17,490 | — |
| Heart bypass surgery in Thailand | about €30,180 to €31,060 | — |
Compare with your wait and price at home
See whether the trip, with a rough travel estimate, still costs less than paying in Ireland.
When not to travel
- Chest pain at rest, pain that is getting worse, or a heart attack: that is an emergency at home, not a trip.
- Anyone whose own cardiologist says they are not fit to fly before surgery.
- Anyone who cannot stay near the hospital until the surgeon and the airline agree they can fly home.
Next steps
Heart bypass surgery from Ireland: questions
How long is the HSE wait for heart bypass operations?
About 45% waiting over 6 months (all cardio-thoracic surgery) (Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026). Cardio-thoracic surgery as a whole, not bypass alone: 828 adults on the inpatient/day-case list, 376 of them waiting over 6 months (63 over 18 months); another 429 waiting for a first cardio-thoracic outpatient appointment.
How much does a private heart bypass surgery cost in Ireland?
We have not verified a published price yet.
Where abroad is a heart bypass surgery cheapest from Ireland?
Before travel: Lithuania about €8,900, Malaysia about €13,120 to €17,490 and Thailand about €30,180 to €31,060. Add travel, roughly a return flight and a hotel, to compare the whole trip.
Do I need a referral for a heart bypass surgery abroad?
Clinics differ, but a referral or a letter from your own doctor makes the result far more useful: it says what question the heart bypass surgery should answer, and it means someone at home will act on it.
Sources
- Open data: inpatient/day case waiting list by specialty, 2026. National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- NTPF publishes September 2026 national public hospital waiting list data. National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.