Special hospital AKSIS

What Special hospital AKSIS does

Special Hospital AKSIS is a private specialty hospital founded in 2012 in Zagreb, Croatia, focused on minimally invasive spinal neurosurgery, orthopedics, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. The hospital operates two primary service lines: a Neurosurgery Department led by Dr. Robert Saftić (pioneer of endoscopic spine surgery in Croatia and Southeast Europe) and Prof. Karlo Houra, and a Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (operating under the fizikalna.hr brand). Core procedures include Selective Endoscopic Discectomy (SED) with annuloplasty, Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression (PLDD), METRx microendoscopic decompression, transforaminal endoscopic thoracic spine surgery, MiniOpen TLIF spinal fusion (~95% reported success rate), and ACDF cervical surgery — most performed under local or regional anesthesia as day-surgery cases.

The hospital's business model combines three revenue streams: (1) private self-pay surgical procedures for international medical tourists from over 40 countries across four continents, with dedicated patient coordinators facilitating remote consultations, second opinions, and surgical travel arrangements; (2) domestic Croatian patients covered via HZZO (Croatian Health Insurance Fund) public insurance and voluntary supplementary insurance company billing; and (3) physical therapy and rehabilitation services. The day-surgery model, local anesthesia protocols, and same-day discharge differentiate the offering from traditional open spinal surgery, reducing recovery time and anesthesia risk. Marketing relies on the multilingual website, patient testimonials, medical congress participation, and World Spine Day events, with logistics partnerships including Hotel Antunović for accommodation and Croatia Medical Travel for referral coordination.

Geographically, AKSIS operates its main facility at Petrovaradinska 1, Zagreb, and a satellite neurosurgical clinic at the Nado Center in Varaždin for northern Croatian patients. Headcount is reported at 11-50 employees with no external institutional investment, parent company, or disclosed funding rounds — the institution is founder-led by Dr. Saftić with Prof. Houra as a key senior neurosurgeon. The hospital previously operated under the name Vertebris International Spine Hospital and bills itself as a pioneer of medical tourism in Croatia, with international patients representing a significant share of case volume alongside domestic Croatian patients.

Name

Special hospital AKSIS

Legal name

Specijalna bolnica Aksis

Website

https://aksis.hr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Special Hospital AKSIS is a private Croatian specialty hospital in Zagreb offering minimally invasive spinal neurosurgery, orthopedics, and physical therapy. It serves both domestic HZZO-insured patients and international medical tourists from over 40 countries seeking same-day endoscopic spine procedures.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Hospital Services

NAICS

Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (622310)

SIC

Services-Hospitals (8060)

akta.pro primary industry

Neurology & Neurosurgical Specialty Hospitals (HLAFAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Orthopedic & Spine Specialty Hospitals (HLAFAHAB)

Keywords

• Minimally invasive spine surgery
• Neurosurgery hospital
• Orthopedic rehabilitation
• Physical therapy services
• Spinal condition treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Zagreb

HQ country

Croatia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Spinal Neurosurgery Services: Revenue generated from surgical procedures including endoscopic, laser, METRx microendoscopic, and fusion surgeries. Primarily private-pay patients and international medical tourists, with some coverage through Croatian public health insurance (HZZO) and supplementary insurance.
2. Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Services: Revenue from physical medicine and rehabilitation services including isokinetic therapy, biofeedback, and manual therapy, delivered at the Fizikalna.hr department.
3. Insurance Company Billing: Collaboration with insurance companies (osiguravajuće kuće) for billing and reimbursement of healthcare services. Includes HZZO (Croatian Health Insurance Fund) for public coverage and voluntary health insurance companies for supplementary coverage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Special Hospital AKSIS is a private specialty hospital in Zagreb, Croatia, providing minimally invasive spinal neurosurgery, orthopedic procedures, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. It operates a day-surgery model for endoscopic spine procedures and treats both domestic Croatian patients (via HZZO and private insurance) and international medical tourists through a dedicated International Patient Center.

Product overview

Special hospital AKSIS is a specialty medical institution offering neurosurgery (primarily spine surgery), orthopedics, and physical medicine and rehabilitation services. The hospital operates two main departments: the Neurosurgery Department focused on minimally invasive spine procedures (including endoscopic, laser, and microendoscopic techniques), and the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation offering physical therapy and rehabilitation services. The hospital serves international patients and has a particular focus on minimally invasive surgical techniques for spinal disorders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Minimally Invasive Spinal Neurosurgery Specialized endoscopic and minimally invasive spine procedures (including SED, PLDD, METRx, MiniOpen TLIF, and transforaminal endoscopic thoracic surgery) performed on an outpatient day-surgery basis for patients with herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and other degenerative spinal conditions.
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Rehabilitation programs covering orthopedic and neurological conditions, including isokinetic testing, Centaur biofeedback therapy, Indiba Activ therapy, HMCA method, kinesitherapy, hydrotherapy, and individual therapeutic exercises for post-surgical and chronic musculoskeletal patients.
• Orthopedic Surgery Orthopedic surgical interventions for musculoskeletal conditions, complementing the hospital's neurosurgical and rehabilitation offerings.
• International Patient Center Dedicated coordination service for foreign patients seeking affordable minimally invasive spine surgery, handling consultations, travel logistics, accommodation, and post-operative rehabilitation.
• Spine Surgery Training and Education Educational programs, workshops, and a referral network for neurosurgeons learning minimally invasive endoscopic spine techniques, supporting knowledge transfer in the SEE region.

Quantifiable outcome

• MiniOpen TLIF spinal fusion: approximately 95% success rate for lower back pain, spondylolisthesis, and spinal stenosis
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Centar za kralježnicu Varaždin – Nado centar (Nado Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutpatient neurosurgical clinic operated by Prof. Karlo Houra in Varaždin, expanding access to patients in northern Croatia. Nado Center serves as the venue for consultations, second opinions, and follow-up appointments. Direct phone and email contact provided for scheduling.
• Hotel AntunovićminorOthersPartner hotel used for international patient accommodation during their stay in Zagreb for surgery. Located near the hospital and provides lodging for patients and accompanying family members traveling from abroad.
• Croatia Medical Travel (Croatian Medical Tourism)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedical tourism intermediary and patient advocate that refers international patients to AKSIS. Mr. Marinov is cited as a contact point for international patients seeking treatment in Croatia. Facilitates connections between patients and the hospital.
• Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCroatian public health insurance provider through which patients-insured persons receive healthcare based on referrals. Medical documentation is forwarded via CEZIH system and individual services are billed to HZZO. Forms the core domestic patient coverage model.
• Insurance Companies (Osiguravajuće kuće)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVoluntary health insurance companies with which AKSIS collaborates for billing of health services. Medical documentation may be forwarded to insurers based on patient consent for reimbursement processing.
• Spine Laser Center New York (Dr. Daniel S. J. Choy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Robert Saftić consulted with Dr. Choy (inventor of PLDD technique) and patients have been referred to AKSIS after consultations with the NY center. Represents an international clinical connection for laser spinal surgery techniques.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Apollo Hospitals: India's largest hospital chain with a strong orthopedic and spine surgery practice and one of the most established international medical tourism brands. Comparable to AKSIS in cross-border patient flows from price-sensitive markets, but with vastly broader specialty footprint.
• Anadolu Medical Center: Major Turkish multi-specialty hospital affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine and a leading medical tourism destination. Competes with AKSIS for international spine patients seeking cost-effective treatment, but at significantly broader scale and service line breadth.
• Bumrungrad International Hospital: Bangkok-based flagship of Asian medical tourism, treating over a million patients annually from across the globe. Overlaps with AKSIS in international patient acquisition infrastructure and pricing-driven cross-border demand, though operating at vastly larger scale.
• Schoen Clinic: Large German specialty hospital group with a leading spine and orthopedic surgery portfolio. Overlaps with AKSIS on minimally invasive spine procedures but operates at much greater scale and across multiple European geographies.

Direct peers

• Wooridul Spine Hospital: South Korean specialty hospital chain focused exclusively on minimally invasive spine surgery, a global pioneer in endoscopic and microscopic spine techniques. Highly comparable to AKSIS in surgical philosophy, day-surgery model, and international medical tourism patient base.
• Turan & Turan Health Group: Turkish specialty orthopedic and spine surgery group built around minimally invasive techniques and a robust international medical tourism practice. Comparable to AKSIS in procedure mix, technique-led differentiation, and inbound patient model from Europe and the Middle East.
• Special Hospital St. Catherine: Zagreb-based private specialty hospital offering neurosurgery, orthopedics, and spine surgery with strong medical tourism positioning. Directly comparable to AKSIS in geography, specialty mix, and Croatian private-hospital competitive set — notably, Prof. Karlo Houra led the Vertebrology Department at St. Catherine from 2011–2017 before joining AKSIS.
• Instituto Clavel: Spanish specialty spine hospital (with a US presence in Phoenix) focused on minimally invasive and endoscopic spine surgery with significant medical tourism patient flow from Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. Closely comparable in surgical philosophy, technique differentiation, and international positioning.
• Stenum Orthopedic Hospital: German specialty orthopedic and spine hospital performing minimally invasive spine surgery under local anesthesia with a strong international (including Middle Eastern and Eastern European) patient flow. Closely mirrors AKSIS's minimally invasive, day-surgery, medical-tourism-driven model.

Regional players

• Clinique du Parc: Private French specialty clinic with a recognized spine surgery department serving domestic French and francophone North African patients. Comparable to AKSIS in private specialty hospital model and spine focus, but primarily regional rather than globally marketed.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SpecialHospitalAksis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/specijalnabolnicaaksis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Special hospital AKSIS