The cost of Surgeon vs Anesthetist

[JanetRose]

Had a hysterectomy last month...cost of surgeon $1975; cost of anesthetist $1645! Surprised the costs are so close!!

 

[wvjules]

Had a hysterectomy last month...cost of surgeon $1975; cost of anesthetist $1645! Surprised the costs are so close!!

Why? The anesthesiologist is as skilled as and has gone to school as long as the surgeon as well as internships and residencies. Do you think they should bill less?

 

[JanetRose]

No! Just surprised...I have no idea how long an anesthesiologist goes to school. No disrespect, just didn't know.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

He might even be worth more than the surgeon, he's the one monitoring all your vitals and making sure you don't jump off the table screaming in pain when the surgeon cuts you open, and he's also the one who makes sure you keep breathing during the surgery.

 

[jaminmd]

Had a hysterectomy last month...cost of surgeon $1975; cost of anesthetist $1645! Surprised the costs are so close!!

You are aware that an anesthesiologist is a physician, right?

 

[Nancyg56]

He might even be worth more than the surgeon, he's the one monitoring all your vitals and making sure you don't jump off the table screaming in pain when the surgeon cuts you open, and he's also the one who makes sure you keep breathing during the surgery.

 

[Scornelius]

You are aware that an anesthesiologist is a physician, right?

She said anesthetist, which is not the same thing.

 

[jaminmd]

She said anesthetist, which is not the same thing.

You are correct, I didn't see that. However, MD or CRNA, their charges are very high.

 

[Poohforyou]

No! Just surprised...I have no idea how long an anesthesiologist goes to school. No disrespect, just didn't know.

Your anesthesiologist went to medical school, just like your surgeon. He then did additional training and passed his boards in his speciality, just like your surgeon.

 

[15isto2]

Your anesthesiologist went to medical school, just like your surgeon. He then did additional training and passed his boards in his speciality, just like your surgeon.

And they are the ones keeping you alive.... worth every cent !

 

[hops&dreams]

yup... medical costs overall are rather inflated all around if you ask me. I grew up surrounded by the medical industry, so I understand some of the costs - especially the higher malpractice insurance in this sue-happy society, but geez! When DD was in the NICU, it was $385 for each neonatologist to do their rounds. Literally less than 5 mins looking at her chart, and barely glancing at HER in her incubator. Each date was different, and $385 was the lowest MD charge in her 41 days in the NICU. It was enlightening to look through her itemized NICU bill... all in all, we could have bought a house for what her NICU bill was.

My aunt was/is an anethesiologist, and she sure does make buckets of $. She always laughs that the best thing about her job is never having to deal with patients awake for very long. Just "hi! How're you doing... count backwards from 100..." then they're out. Ha ha - she always jokes with the surgeons that she never has to brush up her bedside manner.

 

[wiigirl]

And they are the ones keeping you alive.... worth every cent !

 

[lillygator]

he is worth waaaaay more than the surgeon.

 

[shortbun]

Of my husband's college roomates, the anesthesiologists(brothers) are very well off-read, rich. He also has a friend who is a Radiologist- wealthy. The family practice MD, not so rich. I've always found it interesting that the Anesthesiologists and Radiologists made so much money. The Radiologist WAS going to be a surgeon but switched when he found out about amount of work versus pay. We need doctors. I wish I could interest my son; he thinks med school sounds awful no matter how much he'd earn, lol!

 

[Bob NC]

He might even be worth more than the surgeon, he's the one monitoring all your vitals and making sure you don't jump off the table screaming in pain when the surgeon cuts you open, and he's also the one who makes sure you keep breathing during the surgery.

If you really think about what they do it will send shivers up your spine.

They have to do 2 things:

1) Make sure you are paralyzed

2) Make sure you can't feel the pain.

I imagine the worst thing that could happen is succeeding at #1 and failing at #2.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

If you really think about what they do it will send shivers up your spine.

They have to do 2 things:

1) Make sure you are paralyzed

2) Make sure you can't feel the pain.

I imagine the worst thing that could happen is succeeding at #1 and failing at #2.

that would be horrible, and I have heard of it happening.

But they have to do three things. They also have to keep you breathing. If they fail to do that...

 

[Bob NC]

They also have to keep you breathing. If they fail to do that...

Oh yeah, there's always that

 

[wvjules]

Surgical awareness is one of my biggest fears. I used to work at the wvu school of medicine in anesthesiology department and we had a speaker on this ...it was horrifying hearing her story. I can't even imagine being paralyzed but aware and feeling everything and not being able to stop it. IMO, the anesthesiologist is the most important person in the OR. This goes for an MD, DO or CRNA.

 

[Janepod]

Whenever I've had surgery, I've been much more concerned with the anaesthesiologist doing his/her job right than with the surgeon. It makes me uneasy just thinking about it.

 

[Art 1]

Part of the has to do with the high insurance rates that anesthesiologist pay.