10-20% of surgeries in the USA are carried out for the doctors to earn wages, rather than for medical reasons.
The USA TODAY analyzes the data provided by the government, insurance companies and medical trade union associations.
According to the authors of the study, tens of thousands of unnecessary surgical procedures are made in the United States annually (including spinal surgery and gynecological surgery), but the public becomes aware only of the flashy cases.
Lawyer George Gellis from New York notes that the doctors are paid by insurance companies for each surgery. According to the official data, more than one thousand doctors have agreed to pay reimbursement since 2005 to avoid trial on charges of carrying out unnecessary operations.
To deal with the situation in the United States, a mandatory consultation of an independent physician and an additional check of the indications for surgery have been introduced.
