# How much does an appendicectomy cost? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 27, 2008, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-an-appendicectomy-cost/435162 "2008-01-27T03:41:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-an-appendicectomy-cost/435162/1 "2008-01-27T03:41:36Z")
About how much would an appendicectomy cost for a person with no health insurance? What’s the difference between laparoscopy verses open surgery? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-an-appendicectomy-cost/435162/2 "2008-01-27T03:44:18Z")
A lot less than no appendectomy. Most doctors let you pay over time, if it comes to it. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-an-appendicectomy-cost/435162/3 "2008-01-27T09:50:43Z")
This [site](http://www.springerlink.com/content/3d0mgce4788fl9eh/) states the following: > [@](#): > > Results From the institutional perspective, open appendectomy is the least expensive strategy, with an expected cost of $5,171, as compared with $6,118 for laparoscopic appendectomy. The laparoscopic approach is less expensive if open appendectomy wound infection rates exceed 23%. **From the societal perspective, laparoscopic appendectomy is the least expensive strategy, with an expected cost of $10,400, as compared with $12,055 for open appendectomy**. That’s without insurance. Hospitals [bill](http://www.oralchelation.com/calcium/DegenerativeKneeJoint/p28.htm) insurance companies around $2500 for the surgery and a two-day stay. Keep in mind that any additional test or complications could push the number up even further. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-an-appendicectomy-cost/435162/4 "2008-01-27T14:13:26Z")
Keep in mind, too, that there are often programs for people with limited or non-existent incomes and no insurance that reduce substantially the cost of medical care. You should check into that with the hospital and with your doctor or his/her group. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-an-appendicectomy-cost/435162/5 "2008-01-27T15:49:53Z")
[QUOTE=brickbacon] This [site](http://www.springerlink.com/content/3d0mgce4788fl9eh/) states the following: That’s without insurance. Hospitals [bill](http://www.oralchelation.com/calcium/DegenerativeKneeJoint/p28.htm) insurance companies around $2500 for the surgery and a two-day stay. Keep in mind that any additional test or complications could push the number up even further. [/QUOTE] Did you just use a quack site as a cite in GQ? > [@OralChelation.com](#): > > You don’t have to die of heart disease! There are natural alternatives to heart drugs and bypass surgery. Oral Chelation is the alternative described in the 4,000+ pages on this one web site, and on the 100,000+ pages on others of more than 50 web sites published by one person, Karl Loren. This is the place to learn more about how you can reverse the symptoms of heart disease, stroke, clogged arteries, cancer, osteoporosis and other serious problems with alternatives to drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Marconi\_Schmeese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Marconi\_Schmeese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_Schmeese)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-an-appendicectomy-cost/435162/6 "2008-01-27T16:15:16Z")
My husband’s appendectomy was around $40,000. My gallbladder surgery was over $100,000. Both were laproscopic. We have insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-an-appendicectomy-cost/435162/7 "2008-01-27T16:52:21Z")
Funny this should come up, as I was discussing it with my co-workers just a few weeks back. In November of 2002 my wife (then girlfriend) woke up with sharp stabbing abdominal pain. She couldn’t walk. she could barely talk. Turns out, she had had similar abdominal pain for about a week, and had not been telling me. Dorky girl. An ambulance ride to the hospital. A wait in the ER, then scans and a ton of bloodwork, followed up (8 hours later) with a diagnosis of sever apendicitis, and a surgery to remove same. She had no insurance. At all. Was working full time in retail, but did not have insurance through them (not wal-mart). It’s not the procedure that kills you. It’s the other stuff. The ambulance ride was extra, the anesthesiologist is billed seperately. The labwork, the scans, etc. etc. etc. For a grand total of close to $200,000, when all was said and done. Thankfully, the hospital put us in touch with a state program to take care of the bill. We paid about $100. But for about a week, she was considering bankruptcy. ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-an-appendicectomy-cost/435162/8 "2008-01-27T16:56:25Z")
Remember you’ve got to pay 1. the Anesthesiologist(and any assistants he brings along) 2. The surgeon and his buddies 3. the hospital for the OR time 4. the hospital for your recovery time 5. There will likely also be blood and urine tests. This is just a generic formula for a surgery, and I know I’ve left steps out. I’m going on my own recollections. ---
**Author:** ![Stillwell\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Stillwell\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stillwell_Angel)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-an-appendicectomy-cost/435162/9 "2008-01-27T20:51:20Z")
[QUOTE=Marconi & Schmeese] My husband’s appendectomy was around $40,000. My gallbladder surgery was over $100,000. Both were laproscopic. We have insurance. [/QUOTE] :eek: I had my gallbladder out a few months ago, the whole shabang was less than $10,000 (thats _before_ insurance paid their share, my share was around $3000). That includes everything, surgeons bill, anesthesiologist, hospital, pre-surgery testing etc. How the heck did they get a hundred grand out of you for a gallbladder?? :dubious: As far as an appendectomy, my husbands (pre-marraige, he didn’t have my insurance then) totaled around $30,000, but $18,000 of that was the hospital stay. Since he had no insurance they wrote it off and he only had to pay the surgeon ($1800) and the anesthesioligist, radiology etc. I’m still reeling at that $100,000 gallbladder surgery. Were there some sort of special complications?? ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-an-appendicectomy-cost/435162/10 "2008-01-27T21:31:54Z")
In the UK - nothing!! ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-an-appendicectomy-cost/435162/11 "2008-01-27T21:44:12Z")
I had an appendectomy in 2005. It was not a laproscopic surgery, as the appendix was tucked in a weird place. I was in the hospital from Saturday night to Tuesday morning, with the surgery taking place on a Sunday morning. Total cost, including the two scans they had to do before they could rule out my ovarian cyst as being the source of the pain, was around $25,000. I ended up having to pay $6,000 out of pocket thanks to the insurance I was on at the time. Had it happened three months later, it would have cost me approximately $100 out of pocket. That sucked. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-an-appendicectomy-cost/435162/12 "2008-01-27T22:15:17Z")
Just to give some perspective on medical cost increases, I had an emergency appendectomy in 1967. Cost - $500. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-an-appendicectomy-cost/435162/13 "2008-01-27T22:23:06Z")
[QUOTE=BwanaBob] Just to give some perspective on medical cost increases, I had an emergency appendectomy in 1967. Cost - $500. [/QUOTE] That’s about $3000 in 2006. ---
**Author:** ![hekk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@hekk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hekk)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-an-appendicectomy-cost/435162/14 "2008-01-28T00:58:34Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] That’s about $3000 in 2006. [/QUOTE] Which is still quite cheap.