STAT September 19, 2022
How will my surgeon get paid? That’s a question few people ask as they think about having surgery. But it is worth asking, and the answer should factor into decision-making.
For most surgeons, the answer is a compensation model that incentivizes more surgery — and bigger surgery — making it hard to ignore the dollar signs attached to these procedures.
About 15 million Americans have surgery each year, and up to one-quarter of these operations are deemed unnecessary. Not only does this present grave concerns for patients’ well-being, but it is also an enormous drain on the medical system. More surgeries — and more extensive surgeries — mean more complications. Infections occur in 2% to 3% of surgeries, so eliminating...
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