Low Back Surgery - Money For the Surgeon Or Help For the Patient?
Author: Michael Page
Years ago, I was an insurance adjuster. I handled claims for large farm labor companies in California and I was the worker's compensation adjuster. When people were injured, they heard from me. I learned what happened and I paid them their disability benefits and also paid for all of their medical bills. I estimate that over the 3 1/2 years that I adjusted claims, I paid for at least 150 lower back disc surgeries. The average cost of these surgeries was $60,000. I would routinely authorize $10,000-$12,000 bills to be paid directly to the main surgeon. Some of these surgeries would last 3-4 hours and sometimes up to 8-10 hours. I had one surgeon who used to do 2 surgeries per day. It doesn't take long to add up the figures, he was making at least $20,000 per day. He rarely would see the patients before the surgery, he had nurse practitioners and physician assistants who would do that. He simply was making bank! Obviously, when anyone can make that kind of money per day, you have to ask, "Is he doing it for the money or for the patient?" I believe that most surgeons are well-meaning, honest individuals who want to help their patients. But, as my dad used to say, 'When you're a hammer, before long, everything looks like a nail.' I think most surgeons simply get caught up in seeing and scheduling their patients for the treatment that they perform. Very little thought is actually given to alternatives and potential side effects of the treatment. As a result of seeing this kind of health care, I quite my job and went back to school to become a chiropractor with the aim and goal of helping people to avoid the disabling effects of failed lower back surgeries. Many never recover as promised and others are worse. Fortunately, there are a small minority who praise the surgery and report life-changing improvement. If only those numbers were higher. Unfortunately, well over 50% of all back surgeries end up as failed and lead to further problems. A neurosurgeon once told me when I was an adjuster, that there is no such thing as a one-time surgery. All backs that undergo surgery will need further and additional surgery in the future as the operated zone of the spine becomes weakened and other areas around it are damaged over time. Thus, by doing one surgery, the surgeon is ensuring his future surgeries as most people go to the same surgeon again since the surgeon "knows my back." In practice, as a chiropractor I have helped literally hundreds over the past 10 years avoid surgery even when they have been recommended for surgery by surgeons. Conservative chiropractic and physical therapy can work wonders are removing the cause of the need for surgery. Rather than cutting open the spine and removing a bad disc; chiropractic and physical therapy can help the disc to heal and reabsorb the herniated portion taking pressure off the nerves and removing the pain. While no treatment or modality of any kind works 100% of the time, starting with the least invasive and moving your way up is the most prudent method to ensure long-term health and vitality of your spine. Going for the most invasive, most expensive and most damaging choice first is irresponsible and disrespects the research and knowledge the medical community has. Unfortunately, when you can make $20,000 per day the best interest of the patient and their health becomes blurred.About the Author:
Discover the strength and power of your body has to heal itself when it is free to work as it was designed through chiropractic care. Get
low back pain relief in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. Dr. Michael Page is a very experienced and seasoned chiropractic physician who can help you determine if lower back pain must lead to surgery. If you've been told you need surgery, please give yourself a gift of a second opinion.
Avoid surgery by visiting one of Utah's premier, experienced chiropractors.
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