
Cost is the biggest concern for people who have made up their minds to go for defibrillator implant. Here’s some information regarding defibrillator implant pricing.
Medical surgeries that are performed for treatment of cardiac complications are particularly very expensive. Many times, it is not possible for the common man to afford such high cost of surgeries. With the growth in bio-medical technology, it can only be hoped that the high surgery costs will lower in the future. In the US, defibrillator implant is a very expensive cardiac surgery procedure. For the layman, defibrillator implant cost can be a really big financial commitment, as it is rated to be an expensive heart surgery.
What is a Defibrillator Implant?
Defibrillator is a tiny electronic instrument that is placed in the human heart by a surgical process that can last for anywhere between 2 to 4 hours. Earlier it was used to restore natural heart rhythm however, its use has broadened in many areas of heart complication treatments. Whenever there is a disruption in the normal heartbeat, for instance, it stops beating (cardiac arrest), the defibrillator identifies it and boosts the heartbeat. Not everyone suffering from heart diseases may require defibrillator implant, as it depends on a large number of factors, that can only be evaluated by experts in performing this surgery. Since the cost of this surgery is very high in the US, most of the patients look forward to seek alternatives to this treatment process or they depend totally on medical insurance to meet their surgery costs.
Defibrillator Implant Surgery Cost
Owing to the fact that costs incurred in medical surgeries are dependent on numerous factors, it is virtually impossible to tell you the exact amount in defibrillator surgeries. Every hospital and health care unit has its own accommodation and surgery charges that may vary drastically or minimally. In the USA, defibrillator implant cost can range anywhere between a modest sum of US$50,000 to as high as US$200,000. As self-evident, it is a very costly operation that requires great financial preparation from the patient’s side. You have to keep in mind that this cost range is not the absolute truth in case of this implant surgery. You may be required to pay less or more than this. It all depends on several factors like the insurance cover you own, your pre-existing health conditions and chiefly the location of the clinic. If you are heading to a very expensive city (say NY) for your defibrillator implant operation, then it would certainly be costlier than various other states/cities in the US. Geographic locations tend to play a drastic role in determining actual price of a surgery. For instance, it is a well-known fact that in many foreign countries, costs of surgeries, be it plastic surgery or cardiac surgery, is less than the USA.
Besides the costs incurred in hospital stay, medications, surgeons fee, even your age and gender will determine the cost of defibrillator implant. The implant procedure is also generally covered by the health insurance companies but you must be careful in reading all terms and conditions of the agreement prepared by the hospital where you plan to go for this operation. Post surgery care and maintenance is also very important for holistic healing. This also adds some thousands of dollars to the already high surgical cost. Moreover, the patient is expected to come for periodical checks every month so that any chances of complications due to the device can be eliminated. Also, patients who face complications due to this surgery have to spend more money for receiving treatments for the complications.
One of the biggest drawbacks of this tiny device is that it is very difficult to ascertain if a patient really needs this device or he or she can be treated by other alternatives. Besides that, there are some side effects of defibrillators implants. Overall, it can be said that defibrillator implants do help a certain section of people suffering from complex cardiac arrest problems. For some, it is certainly a great treatment method albeit it is an expensive procedure.