Globally, the cost of medical operations is gradually rising, making a purchase of high-quality healthcare a more pricey one. Some medical procedures stand out as being incredibly expensive across the board. These include procedures like kidney, spinal cord, intestine, and heart transplants as well as surgery to repair tricuspid and aortic valves. Each operation has its own unique hazards and difficulties, which drive up the price. The article that follows looks at these pricey treatments, explaining why they are so pricey and what improvements have been made to make them more efficient and affordable.
This article aims to provide a detailed examination of these high-cost procedures, tackling why exactly they occupy the high end of the medical cost spectrum. Each surgery varies in intricacy and supplies needed, both contributing to the overwhelming costs of these medical procedures. We will delve into the nitty-gritty of these procedures to understand them better, explain why their costs are so elevated, and explore the latest developments in each of these fields.
The most expensive medical procedures
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10. Spinal Cord Surgery
United States: $50,000
Turkey: $15,000
Thailand: $11,740
The spine is composed of 33 vertebrae that shape our posture and bear the weight of our body and anything we might carry. With that, the spine is insanely integral to our lives and experiencing an injury here is debilitating.
there are a variety of surgeries that will help with any injuries we may experience so there is also a variety of costs for each procedure as well. On top of that, The length of stay at the hospital and the type of rehabilitation may also increase the cost however, the benefits of a healthier spine will outshine all of the financial loss.
9. Spleen Removal
United States: $50,000
Turkey: $15,000
Thailand: $11,740
The spleen is another essential organ of our body. They are a small organ that is part of the lymphatic system and its job is to store and filter your blood and make more white blood cells to protect you from infection. With the important task this little organ has, its job can be taken over by the liver thus we can live without the spleen in our bodies.
Although the spleen is small, any swelling of the spleen and cancer can be fatal thus making its removal essential. You will find that the cost includes the stay at the hospital but not the immunosuppression drugs as it is not necessary (until you do a transplant).
8. Tracheostomy
United States: $102,399
Turkey: $1,600
Thailand: $3,000
The trachea is a long U-shaped tube that connects the larynx, your voice box, to your lungs. The trachea is something that is referred to as the windpipe which alludes to its function as it facilitates the movement of air in and out from your lungs. The problem starts occurring when the trachea starts becoming blocked or the breathing muscles don’t work from a chronic condition.
In this case, a tracheostomy is an elective procedure that is done in order to open up the airway in order for the patient to breathe again. The procedure involves an incision in the front of the neck and the windpipe whereas afterwards a tube will be placed from which the patient will breathe.
7. Neurosurgery
United States: $110,000
Turkey: $18,000
Thailand: $18,300
The brain gives us all the sensations that we experience. all of our sights, feelings, emotions, personality, and perceptions. Despite its plasticity though, damage to the brain can affect us immensely.
With that, neurosurgery encompasses a variety of procedures that involve the brain itself. The skill needed in order to perform this surgery should be top quality however the brain relatively has more margin of error allowed in comparison to another organ such as the heart. After neurosurgery, there will be various rehabilitation depending on the type of surgery as well that will affect cost but it’s always nice to keep a good mind.
6. Exploratory Chest Surgery
United States: $137,533
Turkey: $4,000
Thailand: $7,500
The human chest contains some of the most important organs in the human body. The lungs, heart, and oesophagus are essential in keeping us alive with blood, breath, and food at least. There are many conditions that could occur in this area that could usually be tested for normal testing or checkups.
This is where exploratory chest surgery comes in, where surgeons can take a closer look into the chest cavity to see what a problem would be and fix it if possible. This makes it so that the procedure would be particularly expensive due to the complexity of the procedure and the dangers involved.
5. Kidney Transplant
United States: $442,500
Turkey: $20,000
Thailand: $30,000
A small but mighty organ in the body, the Kidneys bear the burden of ensuring that the wastes and extra fluids that are in your body are removed. With damaged no missing kidneys, making urine and getting rid of waste will be harder thus this organ should not be overlooked.
The cost of a kidney transplant usually should include the combination of follow-up care and immunosuppression drugs on top of how expensive this procedure is. You will also find that the cost of a transplant will be higher if the donor is alive.
4. Liver Surgery
United States: $878,400
Turkey: $55,000
Thailand: $57,440
The liver is another essential organ in our bodies and is heavily associated with alcohol consumption in our daily lives. However, the liver’s job does not necessarily have a function directly to alcohol but the job of this organ is to process and break down the nutrients that your blood carries all the while regulating the chemicals in your blood.
Accumulative damage to the liver through stuff like hepatitis or chronic alcoholism will lead to cirrhosis of the liver which is the severe scarring of liver tissue. This is fatal to the person in the long run so a liver transplant must be made in order to replace the damaged liver with a healthy one. This also requires the use of immunosuppressants in order to make sure the new liver is not rejected too which would ramp up price as well.
3. Lung Transplant
United States: $929,600 (Single lung) & $1,295,900 (Double lung)
Turkey: $55,000
Thailand: $30,000
The lungs literally give us breath as they are responsible for taking in the air we breathe and filtering the oxygen and carbon dioxide. Just like the heart and brain, the lungs are heavily integral to our survival so to perform any surgical procedures regarding them is dangerous.
With that, The lung transplant will be expensive because of the expertise it takes to perform this and the sensitive nature of this procedure will make it very expensive. After the procedure, you will need a mechanical ventilator until you are able to breathe without much effort which adds more cost and time to the procedure.
2. Intestine Transplant
United States: $1.2 million
Turkey: $100,000
Thailand: $130,000
The intestines are a big organ in our body that facilitates the removal of waste from our body. At the same time though, the intestines also absorb the nutrients from whatever we have eaten as well. This organ is very essential and any issues regarding this area should not be ignored.
This treatment is performed when other treatments have failed and the patient’s life is in danger. Diseases like short bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and even intestinal cancer are grounds for what requires this procedure. Even then the patient will have to take immunosuppressive drugs after the transplant but all of this is necessary in order to save your intestinal region.
1. Heart Transplant
United States: $1.66 million
Turkey: $110,000
Thailand: $135,000
The heart is the essential organ of the human body. It represents love and life and it is nearly impossible to live without one. The heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout our body and to our brain which would transport oxygen and nutrients throughout.
In the case that the heart is heavily damaged through a variety of heart-related conditions, a heart transplant would be necessary in order to live a healthier life if heart surgery would not work. considering the severity of this operation, it is important to get the highest quality care which translates to its expensive price as well. At the same time, one would find it hard to find a donor where the average wait time has been known to be about six months in the US. Regardless, the price may be high but it is worth it.
All of these medical procedures will have differing costs depending on a variety of factors depending on the clinic, doctors, place, and the severity of the injury. As the prices shown here are the average, some would find them to be either higher or even much lower as well. That is why it should be important to consult with a professional and decide the best course of action that is made for you.
The cost will also be padded by after-surgery care as well which includes immunosuppressants in many cases for transplants, rehabilitation, and post-care services. That is also why one should not look at the surface level of the medical procedures and try to see beyond by saving enough or easier yet, having good insurance. Regardless, the issues that these surgeries will fix are more than worth the price you will pay.