I am well aware that hernia surgery is not major and that many, possibly most of you have had more serious surgery, but when a knife is stuck in your body even for its own good, the body does not like it. So being curious I googled ‘How many surgeries does the average person have in a lifetime?” and found some interesting information.
The United States has a little over 4% of the world’s population and by the above numbers 12-15% of the world’s surgeries.
I had not thought to include eye operations and do not know if skin cancer removals should be counted.
Prior to last Friday’s hernia repair, the only time I thought I had surgery was when my tonsils were removed at age four or five, but I have had six eye operations and more skin cancer removals than I know. Probably fifteen or twenty. So depending on what is included I may have had far fewer than the average nine or far more.
This is the one I find most startling and distressing. One in three Medicare patients has an operation in the last year of their life, suffering more than they needed to often for reasons of financial gain by others.
I draw no conclusions. I am glad to have my skin cancers removed and my hernia repaired and probably my tonsils removed, though that is so long ago I don’t remember the details. Except for cataract removal, my eye operations were a waste.
I have and do give thought to what I am willing to undergo at my age.
From THE POETRY OF ZEN a short poem by Kobayashi Issa 1763-1827 that brings a smile.
And from Tim Robinson again:
The average Joe that dies of "complications following surgery" are not normally 'news' - however when someone semi-famous to world famous dies as a result of post operation "complications" it does make the news.
ReplyDeleteArnold Schwarzenegger said he almost died following routine heart surgery. Less famous, Bill Paxton (Actor in Titanic) died following hear surgery: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/feb/26/bill-paxton-dies-61-aliens-titanic. He was only 61.
My own maternal grandfather needlessly died following "routine" surgery to remove polyps in his intestines - which at his age of 88 at the time, should have just been left alone. Your ability to recover from even "routine" surgery is compromised the older you get, because your body simply isn't as good as repairing itself as when you are younger.
I am sure you will be fine Webb post a low level of risk procedure such as a hernia.
But you are 100% correct to be wary of the medical industry where (and lets be overly generous) even if only subconscious, there is a profit factor which is more at the forefront of medical minds than it should be, such is the way the system is set up.