It’s difficult to imagine that there are approximately 15 million surgeries performed in the United States per year. Many of these are surgeries medically necessary to save lives. Some, however, are not medically necessary. They are elective surgeries people get to improve their quality of life, such as having a knee replaced or removing something that’s bothering them, and some surgeries are of the plastic kind. There are many surgeries covered under the patient’s health insurance, which brings down the cost for patients, and there are many that are not. Read on to find out which 15 non-elective surgeries are the most expensive in the country.
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Cholecystectomy and Common Duct Exploration – $12,600
This type of procedure is fairly common, and it’s done for all kinds of people. There are more than 400,000 of these operations performed each year in the United States, and the cost of it is extensive. While the cost of what you’re seeing here is not necessarily what you’ll see on a patient bill, it’s an average breakdown of what doctors charge to perform this surgery, which is often not a surgery patients can turn down. In layman’s terms, this is the surgery that is performed when a doctor removes a patients gallbladder, an organ that sometimes has to go for health purposes.
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Treatment of Disclocation of Lower Extremity – $13,700
One of the most common surgeries in the world is the treatment of a dislocated lower extremity. This particular surgery does not include the treatment of a dislocated hip, which is something that happens primarily in the older population. This particular surgery is one that happens most often in athletes and those who are exceptionally physical in terms of fitness. It can happen, of course, in accidents or other traumas, but just to treat a dislocated ankle or knee, the cost of the surgery is extensive. Patients with insurance will see a much smaller bill, but it’s still massive.
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Arthroplasty of Knee – $15,900
Stiff joints are killer. Particularly in older people, stiff joints can make it painful to function on a day to day basis. For example, a person who is suffering from stiff joints might find it difficult to engage in every day activities such as walking and standing at the sink to prepare dinner or even wash a few dishes. This surgery is necessary for patients with stiff joints, to repair the damage caused by the joint and reduce the pain patients are suffering. It makes every day life possible again, but it’s an expensive surgery to have to deal with.
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Treatment of Dislocation of Hip – $16,800
More than 255,000 people dislocate a hip in the United States on an annual basis, and the cost to have their hip surgically fixed is astronomical. The biggest point of contention with this particular surgery is the fact that it happens routinely to people in the older generation. Their bones are brittle, which is something that happens as people age, and they are more prone to injury. When a hip is dislocated, it can cause a person to become unable to walk or move, and the paint is exceptional. It’s not a surgery that people can elect to put off or ignore for the time being.
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Hip Replacement – $17,200
Hips fail over time in some older people. They can break, become dislocated and simply not do their job anymore. When this happens, it becomes impossible for a patient to walk and live without pain. A hip replacement then becomes necessary. American doctors replace approximately 464,000 hips each year. The cost of this procedure is more than $17,000, which is just what doctors charge their patients for the surgery. This doesn’t even include the cost of a hospital stay following this type of surgery. Add to that the fact that rehabilitation for this type of surgery can be extensive and expensive, and you’re looking at a lot more money.
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Percutaneous Coronary Angioplasty – $18,800
A procedure that costs more than some new cars is expensive. And the simple fact is that this is a surgery that isn’t even overly invasive. It’s considered a minimally invasive surgery used to open up blocked arteries to help patients’ blood flow unobstructed to their hearts. It’s not difficult to perform and doesn’t even require patients go under for the surgery. It’s done with a needle and patients aren’t even required to stay in the hospital for long – and only to make sure it’s working.
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Debridement of Wound – $20,700
The debridement of a wound is a very expensive procedure. The difficult part is that for this much money, all doctors are doing is using a sharp instrument to remove the dead tissue that surrounds a wound so that they can see further into the wound to ensure it’s healing properly. There are nearly 128,000 of these debridement procedures performed on an annual basis, and it’s an expensive one. Some insurance plans cover the basic cost of this surgery, and some do not. The price here is an overall average of the total cost of this particular surgery.
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Amputation of Lower Extremity – $21,200
Nearly 121,000 people each year are required to lose a leg or foot. The amputation of a particular lower extremity is not a very common surgery, thankfully. However, it happens most often to people with serious infections, those with serious injuries and many war veterans. The loss of a limb is devastating and often detrimental to families, and this is just the basic price of the removal. It takes many months and sometimes years of rehab to fully recover after an amputation, and many patients need therapy to come to terms with their loss; all of which is an additional cost.
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Lobectomy – $23,000
A lobectomy is a procedure in which a surgeon goes into your lungs and removes a portion of your lung. This surgery is performed on those who suffer from lung cancer. The purpose of the surgery is to prevent the disease from spreading and to help patients recover and respond better to treatment of lung cancer. It’s a very invasive surgery that requires some extensive recovery time, as well as additional medical help to fight the cancerous cells in a patient’s body. This is not the cost you will necessarily see on your bill, but it’s what the procedure charges.
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Colorectal Resection – $23,400
Those who are suffering from colon cancer are going to undergo this particular type of surgery. The surgery is invasive. It removes the section of the colon that contains cancerous tumors, enabling patients to receive treatment and hopefully beat the disease. It’s an invasive procedure that is performed approximately 289,000 times each year on cancer patients. Those with insurance that covers this bill will see a drastic reduction in price, but those who don’t will see this as only the beginning of their medical bills.
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Spinal Fusion – $27,600
Spinal fusion surgery is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a surgical procedure that’s performed to join together two or more vertebrae. More than 465,000 of these surgeries are performed each year, and most of the patients who undergo this surgery do not have comprehensive coverage that will help to cover the cost of this particular surgery. Most people are doing to need ample recovery time, rehab and other medical procedures that will only drive up the cost of this procedure, which is just the basic coverage required to ensure that patients are helped to the best of their abilities.
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Cardiac Pacemaker Procedures – $33,200
A pacemaker typically is not something patients have any say over. Most people who have a pacemaker need one for very good reason. That reason is that their heart is no longer functioning properly and requires this particular form of help. A pacemaker surgery is a comprehensive one that requires a short stay in the hospital for both recovery and time to monitor the device. More than 122,000 patients require a pacemaker surgery of some sort throughout the year. Many doctors are capable of inserting and working with pacemakers, and most of them charge the same price for the surgery.
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Small Bowel Resection – $34,500
When you suffer from a diseased bowel of some sort, doctors will want to remove the section of the bowel that is diseased. It’s an invasive surgery that requires your doctor to remove the portion of the bowel that needs removal and reattach the two separated pieces so that they become one bowel again. It’s a tricky procedure that can only be performed by those who are trained to do it. It’s not a common surgery, with only 70,000 of these surgeries performed each year. However, it is an expensive surgery that does require recovery time and a hospital stay.
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Coronary Artery Bypass Graft – $38,700
This is a surgery that is often necessary for patients that have heart problems. Coronary artery bypass grafts are used to unblock arteries and improve the flow of blood to the heart. Surgeons perform this surgery on patients that suffer from coronary heart disease. It’s a lifesaving surgery that is not an option for patients in need of it, which often leads patients in exceptional financial need due to the fact that they can’t afford this procedure with many types of health insurance. More than 166,000 patients require this surgery every year.
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Heart Valve Procedures – $53,400
Procedures that involve heart valves are very expensive. The heart is one of the most important parts of the body. Without it, a person cannot live. If your valves are not functioning at maximum capacity, your heart will struggle and work too hard. This can lead to health issues such as heart attack and stroke. This procedure is the most expensive surgery in the country, and more than 114,000 patients require this surgery every year to save their lives. It’s not an optional surgery for patients with heart problems, either.
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