A fresh shock was reported in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association.
Looking at nearly 350,000 common surgeries covered by insurance, approximately 1 in 5 patients were stuck with after-the-fact bills averaging $2011 without prior knowledge.
Arthroscopic knee surgery and total knee replacements were 2 of the 7 most commonly cited surgeries with surprise billings.
The mean age of the patients operated upon was 48 years of age.
The most common causes of the unexpected billings came from Anesthesia costs ( average $1219 ) and cost of Surgical Assistants ( average $3633 ). This issue has become so widespread, Congress been drafting in 2019 a bipartisan law to support independent arbitration of surprise out-of-network billings.
Even more concerning were unanticipated costs due to ‘complications’, which ran 27%.
The most common complications of arthroscopic knee surgery and total knee replacement surgery are:
- bleeding in the joint
- joint infections
- blood clots in the legs, sometimes then moving to the lungs causing death
To read the complication statistics from the British medical system, published in 2018, on less risky Arthroscopic knee surgeries, click here. To read complications statistics from the US medical system of the same surgeries, published in 2014, click here.
Before considering knee surgery, PLEASE consider a Regenerative Medicine approach … it may end up being SAFER, less EXPENSIVE, and MORE EFFECTIVE
— Dr Tom Yarema
Regenerative Medicine is an emerging field, offering safe and effective treatments for knee problems. Often surgery can be delayed with these valuable treatments.
To schedule an apppointment with Dr Tom to see if Regenerative Knee Treatments are a good fit for you, click here.