Surgery for money?

Caoimhín

Right folks..

Is it possible that a surgeon could operate, in Ireland, on a patient because his funds were getting low?

What is the standard? What governs the surgical profession in a specific jurisdiction? Is it conceivable that someone would operate on a patient for financial reasons?

I ask this simply because im curious, nothing more..

Traumadoc

Sure there are surgeons that operate on people everyday for financial reasons,
Especially with the NTPF.
You dont think surgeons work in private hospitals pro bona?

metrovelvet

I was told by a surgical nurse, who has advised me against a lapraoscopy on the basis that they are done all the time becuase the doctors make a fortune out of them.

Also, I am highly suspicious of c - sections, whose rates have jumped dramatically in the US since the 1970s. At 25K a pop for a 15 minute procedure, one has to wonder at the high rates these days.

Winning Hand

metrovelvet wrote: »

I was told by a surgical nurse, who has advised me against a lapraoscopy on the basis that they are done all the time becuase the doctors make a fortune out of them.

Also, I am highly suspicious of c - sections, whose rates have jumped dramatically in the US since the 1970s. At 25K a pop for a 15 minute procedure, one has to wonder at the high rates these days.

Well if you are taking your medical advice from a healthcare midlevel who has a less than minimal role in patient care outside of the operating room then that is your right.

As for c-sections you are right to be suspicious of the volumes although the high rate is due to many other factors other than making money (patient expectations, litigation). Also if you think the obstetrician (not surgeon) pockets 25k per procedure then you have a serious misunderstanding of health care economics.

Back to the OP, Medicine is a business lead by supply and demand. As long as people continue to have hernias, biliary colic etc then there is a market for offering surgery to fix these issues. At the end of the day though, as it is a business, the patient can always choose to go elsewhere.