Surgery refers to medical procedures that involve cutting through or otherwise opening the skin and penetrating body tissues. There are many types of surgeries, all of which have health benefits and associated risks, as well as a recovery process. There are several potential goals of performing surgery, such as the following.
Proper Diagnosis: Diagnostic surgery seeks to establish whether or not a person has an illness or disease. Common examples are biopsies, in which tissue samples are removed for closer examination, often to determine whether they are cancerous.
Prevention: These are procedures meant to stop diseases from spreading or beginning in the first place. This is most commonly the removal of tissue that has a high probability of developing cancer cells.
Transplantation: This is the process of removing a body part that no longer works properly and replacing it with one that does. Joint replacement is a common example as are organ replacements like lung and liver transplants.
Other reasons for surgery may include reconstruction or the reduction of pain for certain conditions.
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Emergency vs. Elective Surgery
As the name suggests, emergency surgery is done during legitimate medical emergencies. The purpose is to treat trauma or illnesses that pose a threat to the patient’s life. Emergency surgery can’t be postponed and is generally unplanned. These surgeries are often needed to treat new injuries, illnesses, or conditions, but they can become necessary if a pre-existing condition deteriorates rapidly.
Elective surgery is a non-emergency surgery that may be medically necessary, but it can be delayed for a minimum of 24 hours. Elective surgeries are typically divided into three categories.
Urgent: Surgery treats a condition that has the potential to deteriorate rapidly and result in an emergency. These procedures are typically performed within 30 days.
Semi-urgent: These surgeries treat conditions that are unlikely to become emergencies but may still result in acute pain or may cause some level of disability. Procedures are generally performed within 90 days.
Non-urgent: Surgery treats a condition that causes minimal pain and can’t become an emergency. Procedures are typically completed within 365 days.
Common Elective Surgeries
Australian hospitals admit roughly 700,000 patients per year from elective surgery waiting lists. General surgery (procedures on organs and the abdomen) account for the highest percentage of elective procedures at 23%. Bariatric, or weight-loss surgery, is common in both Australia and the United States. Around 15% of Australians were admitted for orthopedic treatments. These may include surgeries on joints or procedures to treat damaged tendons, which are common with sports injuries. Elective surgeries may also include cosmetic procedures, though these aren’t highly prioritized. The median wait time for elective surgery is 35 days.
Private Health Cover
Australian citizens, and some visitors, are covered for emergency procedures thanks to Medicare, but the medical expenses involved in elective procedures can be a different story. You can avoid costs if you decide to have elective surgery as a public patient in a public hospital, but you may have extremely long wait times, and you won’t be able to choose your doctor. If you decide to enter the private health system with no health plan, you can expect to pay 25% of the medical costs (Medicare still covers 75%) as well as all of the hospital costs (your room, medications, care, etc.). If you enter the private health system with private health insurance, your insurance company will cover your hospital costs and at least some of the medical costs not covered by Medicare.
Having a private health insurance plan also lets you choose your preferred doctor for your elective surgery, and it can cut down on your wait times. You can choose to only pay for hospital cover, or you may want extra health coverage as well, such as dental or vision. Compare hospital care with iSelect to find the cheapest hospital cover that makes sense for your needs.
