| Service | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 🇹🇷 Turkey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sentinel lymph node biopsy | from USD 140 | from USD 2,500 | from USD 3,000 |
| Average price with diagnostics (ultrasound, CT, consultations, histology) | from USD 241 | from USD 3,500 | from USD 4,500 |
Prices in the “Ukraine” column come from MediUkraine’s partner clinics. The Czech Republic and Turkey columns show the lower bounds of prices published by clinics there (for Turkey, also the Turkish Dental Association’s recommended 2026 tariff), collected in August 2026 and converted to US dollars at the rate on the day of collection. A dash means we could not find a comparable published price. In any country, the final cost is set by the clinic after an examination.
The method is based on the anatomy of lymph drainage. Lymph from any part of the body flows in an orderly way and first reaches one or two nodes of the drainage basin. These are the nodes that will receive tumour cells first if any have already broken away from the tumour, so the state of these nodes reflects the state of the whole regional basin. The approach is used mainly for melanoma and breast cancer.
The procedure goes like this: a radioactive tracer and a dye are injected around the tumour, then the surgeon uses a gamma probe and the colour of the tissue to find the marked node and removes it. The tissue goes to the pathologist, who looks for metastases under the microscope. The other nodes in the region stay in place, and with them the lymph drainage pathways, so the risk of lymphoedema and other complications is lower than after a dissection.
The procedure is performed under general or local anaesthesia and takes 30–60 minutes. The pathologist's report determines the stage of the disease and whether adjuvant therapy will be prescribed after surgery.
MediUkraine arranges the biopsy at the partner clinic in Uzhhorod, where it is performed according to current protocols, and takes care of booking and organising consultations.
Travel. Ukrainian airspace is closed, so there are no commercial flights. Uzhhorod lies right on the border with Slovakia and close to Hungary, so patients usually arrive overland from one of these two countries, by car, bus or train.
Visas. Citizens of the EU, the United Kingdom and the United States do not need a visa for short stays in Ukraine. Rules depend on your citizenship, so check your own before booking.
Safety, plainly. Ukraine is at war. Air raid alerts occur across the country, including in Uzhhorod, and an appointment can be interrupted by one. Several governments advise against travel to Ukraine, and while that advice stands, ordinary travel and medical insurance is often void — confirm your cover with your insurer before you commit to anything.
Language. MediUkraine handles correspondence, scheduling, the written treatment plan and the quote in English. The clinic's team communicates with international patients in English.
Payment. You pay the clinic directly. Our coordination service is free of charge for you.
More on travel, safety and insurance: Safety and travel.
The radioisotope method remains the gold standard. A tracer, technetium-99m, is injected into the tissue next to the tumour, and a gamma camera shows which node it reaches first. During surgery a gamma probe guides the surgeon to the marked node, so the incision is made directly over it. The sensitivity of this search is 85–90%, which means micrometastases can be detected at early stages of the disease. The procedure is minimally invasive and well tolerated.
The combined approach adds a blue dye, methylene blue or patent blue, to the radioactive tracer. It is injected at the same time as the tracer, and the surgeon sees the marked node directly, not only through the probe signal. This makes the search more accurate and reduces the risk of missing an affected node where the anatomy of the area is complex. In both cases the tissue goes for the same histological examination; only the way the node is found differs.
The MediUkraine team will clarify with the partner clinic in Uzhhorod which of the two methods it uses and how they differ in your case. We keep the link between you and the medical team at every stage, from booking a consultation to receiving the histology report.
Recovery is usually short. Most patients return to their usual routine within a few days of the biopsy. For the first 24–48 hours, limit physical activity and do not lift anything heavy, so as not to provoke inflammation in the treated area. These two days call for caution; after that, restrictions are gradually lifted.
Wound care is simple: regular cleaning and dressings according to the schedule the surgeon gives you. Swelling and mild discomfort around the incision last 1–2 weeks; this is an expected tissue reaction and is usually well controlled with ordinary painkillers. A raised temperature, heavy discharge from the wound or spreading redness are reasons to contact a doctor the same day, without waiting for the scheduled visit.
The MediUkraine team stays in touch throughout your recovery: we coordinate communication with the clinic, check how you are doing and arrange additional consultations if needed. We also help with practical questions, from discharge to the follow-up examination. The exact length of the restrictions and the schedule of check-ups will be set by the surgeon who performed the procedure.
The gentleness of the method is built into its very idea: instead of the whole regional basin, the surgeon works with one or two nodes that receive lymph from the tumour first. If cancer cells have already spread beyond the tumour, this is where they will be. The other nodes and the lymph drainage pathways stay in place, so the risk of post-operative complications, including lymphoedema, is lower than after radical dissection.
The marker, a radioactive tracer and/or a blue dye, is injected into the tumour area the day before surgery or on the day itself. During the procedure the gamma probe shows the surgeon in real time where the marker has accumulated. The removed nodes are sent for histological examination: the pathologist assesses whether there is tumour infiltration and what kind.
The method is used for melanoma, breast cancer, vulvar cancer and other cancers. MediUkraine arranges it at the partner clinic in Uzhhorod, from the first consultation to receiving the histology report.
The difference in price is explained by economics, not by the level of medicine. The procedure costs 40–60% less in Ukraine than in Western Europe and the USA, although it is performed according to international standards. Ukrainian surgical oncologists have experience with this technique and equipment for intraoperative navigation.
The exact amount depends on the complexity of the case and the extent of the tissue examination. The technique itself is the gold standard in surgical oncology: it shows how far the cancer has spread without removing all the regional nodes and noticeably reduces the risk of lymphoedema compared with traditional dissection.
The MediUkraine platform saves you weeks of searching for a qualified surgical oncologist and arranging an appointment. We coordinate the initial consultation and the collection of tests and documents, so treatment starts sooner, which also affects the total cost.
Risks and how they are controlled
The procedure is minimally invasive: the incision is small and the regional lymph node basin stays intact. The partner clinic in Uzhhorod performs it in line with international safety protocols. Anaesthesia is chosen individually for each patient, which reduces the likelihood of complications and discomfort.
Standards
The equipment for radioisotope imaging and surgery must undergo regular checks. Anaesthesia is provided by qualified anaesthetists, and radioactive tracers are handled by nuclear medicine specialists. After the procedure you are monitored, and infection prevention is carried out according to current protocols.
📍 Uzhhorod, Ukraine
A multidisciplinary hospital in Uzhhorod, part of a network of medical facilities in western Ukraine: an outpatient clinic, a surgical centre covering 15 specialties and a 30-bed inpatient unit. Its 52 doctors include professors and PhDs; many operations are done as day surgery, with discharge after 1–2 days.
It is a method of finding the first ("sentinel") lymph node through which tumour cells may spread beyond the tumour. A dye or a radioactive tracer is injected into the tumour area, and the node that receives lymph from the affected area first becomes visible to the surgeon. It is removed and examined under a microscope: microscopy shows whether it contains metastases.
The cost depends on the clinic, the method (radioisotope or fluorescence) and the extent of diagnostics. On average the procedure costs from USD 140, noticeably less than in EU countries, with the same protocols.
A sentinel node biopsy is prescribed when a malignant tumour has already been found, for example breast cancer or melanoma, and it is necessary to check whether the disease has spread to the lymphatic system. You should seek advice as soon as the diagnosis is made: the timing of the biopsy affects how well the treatment strategy is chosen.
First you have a consultation with a surgical oncologist, an ultrasound or MRI to locate the nodes, and routine blood tests. For 1–2 days before the procedure, avoid alcohol and heavy food. Stop eating solid food 6–8 hours and clear fluids 2 hours before the procedure, unless the anaesthetist has given other instructions; anaesthesia is usually local or a short general anaesthetic.
Yes, but the decision is made individually. During pregnancy the doctor chooses the marker with particular care, weighing the risk to the baby: not every dye is suitable, and the radioactive tracer is used only when the benefit outweighs the risk. Patients with chronic conditions can also have the procedure, after the risks have been assessed and their condition has been stabilised.
The main indications are breast cancer, melanoma, and cancer of the cervix, endometrium or other organs where it is important to determine whether the lymph nodes are affected. Examining one node instead of removing the whole group gives an accurate stage of the tumour and spares you unnecessary surgery.
The results of the procedure play a key role in staging the cancer and in drawing up an individual treatment plan. If the sentinel lymph nodes show no signs of metastasis, this improves the prognosis and makes it possible to avoid extensive lymph node removal. In these patients the likelihood of a complete recovery is considerably higher, especially at early stages of cancer.
At the same time, this is a diagnostic procedure that sets the treatment strategy, not the treatment itself. Recovery depends on a comprehensive approach: surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other methods prescribed by the oncologist. The timeliness of diagnosis and the quality of the biopsy itself also matter. That is why the report is discussed with the oncologist, who decides what the next step should be. MediUkraine helps you arrange the biopsy at the partner clinic in Uzhhorod, where it is performed according to current protocols.
Tell us what you need: we will suggest a clinic and a doctor and send you a cost estimate.
Request a consultation →
