The cost of many medical procedures rises over time, due in part to technological advances. New procedures often carry a high price tag as well. Many medical procedures, whether elective or necessary, are performed in the hospital, with the added costs of a hospital stay. People without health insurance or with inadequate coverage are especially concerned about paying for expensive surgical procedures. Several types of surgeries are notoriously expensive; they range from beauty-enhancing to life-saving.
Organ Transplant
Organ transplant procedures prove expensive due to the specialization and the need to actually perform two surgeries: one to remove the healthy organ from the donor and another to remove the diseased organ from the recipient and then place the healthy organ. Liver transplants, lung transplants, heart transplants and heart-lung transplants prove especially costly. Specialized transplant surgeons perform most organ transplant procedures.
Heart Valve Replacement
Heart valve replacement proves extraordinarily expensive in the United States, reports an article in CNN Health entitled, "'I Can't Afford Surgery in the U.S.,' Says Bargain Shopper". Replacement valves may come from a pig, cow or human donor or they may be made of metal. Cardiac surgeons perform these surgeries. Sometimes these procedures are life saving, at other times they improve quality of life and lessen the risk of complications due to a faulty heart valve.
Full Body Lift
Many cosmetic procedures also cause patients to reach deeply into their pockets. Often not covered by insurance, the majority of these surgeries are considered elective, although surgeons often do them to correct gross deformities, injuries or the removal of a cancerous body part. The full body lift, explains Dr. Stephen T. Greenberg, may include the removal of excess fat and skin from the thighs, hips, buttocks, stomach, back, arms and breasts. A face-lift may be performed as part of a full body lift as well. Cosmetic surgeons traditionally perform cosmetic surgeries although other physicians may legally perform them as well. Full body lifts prove expensive due in part to the time involved to plan and perform them.
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery is surgery performed on the brain or the nerves in other parts of the body. These surgeries often prove medically necessary and are usually conducted by neurosurgeons. Surgery.com explains that surgeons perform neurosurgeries for a wide variety of reasons, including reduction of seizures and removal of cancers and benign tumors from the brain. These surgeries are expensive due to the specialization, time involved and technology needed to perform them.
Defibrillator Placement
The implantation of a cardiac defibrillator is an expensive procedure. Heart surgeons perform this procedure and it is costly due to the specialization and the cost of the defibrillator itself. These surgeries are often considered to life saving, and physicians only perform them on people at high risk of developing a lethal heart arrhythmia.
Spinal Fusion
Spinal fusion fuses two or more bones together in an effort to correct an existing back problem. It is often considered an elective surgery, although the patient may spend a great deal of time in pain prior to the surgery. Sometimes,surgeons take a bone graft from another part of the body, such as the hip, to strengthen the fused bones. Orthopedic surgeon often perform this procedure and it proves expensive due to the specialization and time involved. Occasionally, a bone substitute or material from a bone bank may prove necessary, adding to the total cost of the surgery.
