# We would be happy to operate... if you weren't such a fat ass! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 27, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-would-be-happy-to-operate-if-you-werent-such-a-fat-ass/332883 "2005-11-27T04:55:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2005, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-would-be-happy-to-operate-if-you-werent-such-a-fat-ass/332883/21 "2005-11-28T00:22:29Z")
Even if you _are_ paying the entire bill yourself, I don’t see why a doctor should be compelled to treat a patient he reasonably believes stands more chance of dying on the table or succumbing to post-op infection than actually benefiting from the procedure. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-would-be-happy-to-operate-if-you-werent-such-a-fat-ass/332883/22 "2005-11-28T02:05:16Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Even if you _are_ paying the entire bill yourself, I don’t see why a doctor should be compelled to treat a patient he reasonably believes stands more chance of dying on the table or succumbing to post-op infection than actually benefiting from the procedure. Exactly! No doctor is obliged to perform _any_ procedure that the doctor feels is not appropriate to perform on a given patient. Benefits must outweigh risks. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-would-be-happy-to-operate-if-you-werent-such-a-fat-ass/332883/23 "2005-11-28T02:11:56Z")
Did my post somehow imply that doctors should operate under those conditions? That certainly wasn’t my intent. Just that if the risk/benefit is positive, but let’s say extra post-op rehab is needed, someone is paying for that. If you are a cash pay healthcare customer, dollars to doughnuts it’s you paying. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-would-be-happy-to-operate-if-you-werent-such-a-fat-ass/332883/24 "2005-11-28T02:27:23Z")
> [@Harriet the Spry](#): > > dollars to doughnuts it’s you paying. What _kind_ of doughnuts? Cake? Yeast? Who pays? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2005, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-would-be-happy-to-operate-if-you-werent-such-a-fat-ass/332883/25 "2005-11-28T02:28:45Z")
[Homer Simpson]Mmmm. Doughnuts. Mmmmm.[/Homer Simpson] ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-would-be-happy-to-operate-if-you-werent-such-a-fat-ass/332883/26 "2005-11-28T03:25:16Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > In a system where limited medical resources must be apportioned by some means, it makes all the sense in the world for the docs to decide that since Group A has a much worse profit/cost ratio, Group A doesn’t get the operation Nope, it just means your insurance may not cover it; you can still get the operation if you can afford it. I can understand that some people prefer a system where care is governed by bureaucratic fiat instead of by money; but cases like this give the lie to the assumption by some that nationalized health care has no downsides. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-would-be-happy-to-operate-if-you-werent-such-a-fat-ass/332883.md?page=1)