During the late 1980’s operative treatment for gallstones were challenged by alternative treatment. Over the past several decades’ nonsurgical treatment of gallbladder stones were evaluated and gained some popularity, these included the following:
- Oral medical dissolution
- Percutaneous cholecystostomy with stone extraction
- Percutaneous or transnasal topical solvent dissolution
- Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.
This resulted in a marked decrease in surgeries performed because these treatments worked, along with a greater understanding of causes behind Cholecystitis.
One Scottish study showed cholecystectomies decreasing 1% per year, and then laparoscopic cholecystectomies came onto the market for patient services.
This survey determined the effect of the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy on the rates of cholecystectomy (total and laparoscopic) in Scotland. From 1977 to 1990, the Scottish cholecystectomy rate fell by an average of almost 1% per annum. With the advent of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the total cholecystectomy rate (open and laparoscopic) rose considerably – by 18.7% from 1989-93 (p < 0.05).
The largest increase (25%) was observed in the 45-64 years age group but it was also particularly evident (19%) in elderly patients (65-74 years). Subjects were more likely to undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy than open cholecystectomy if they were young and female. The increased cholecystectomy rate observed merits careful scrutiny and health economic evaluation.
The study noted” The total cholecystectomy rates in two states in the USA have increased since the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, with estimates of the increase varying from 28-60%. The reasons for this apparent worldwide change are not known. The increased cholecystectomy rate may reflect a lowered surgical threshold (over alternative treatment) but other factors may be operative.
In other words – Surgeons are targeting young healthy unsuspecting women for practice and entrepreneurial exploitation
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8801212
Surgeons invented a new cash cow income stream to recover from providential loss to alternative treatment options – the laparoscopic cholecystectomy. During the early 1990s adoption, there was a 29% increase in the number of cholecystectomies performed; with over a 100% increase in cholecystectomy for acute acalculous cholecystitis and a 300% increase for biliary dyskinesia.
One US Private practice study revealed cholecystectomies increased 159% following the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and went on to say:
“It seems that the use of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a new technology touted as reducing health care costs, may result in an increased consumption of health care resources due to changes in the indications for gallbladder surgery”. (JAMA. 1993;270:1429-1432?
In other words, the thresholds and criteria for diagnosing surgery were changed to generate income.
http://gut.bmj.com/content/gutjnl/38/2/282.full.pdf
The problems of this new surgery procedure was two-fold:
Patients were needed for procedural development and training (experimentation); and
Justifications were needed for the increased diagnosis of gallbladder removals, to lower the threshold for the surgery treatment option.
A story was invented and is still in practice today. The following information is seen on all consent forms:
• ‘You don’t need a gallbladder’. ‘So surgery to take it out is often recommended’
• ‘You can lead a perfectly normal life without a gallbladder’.
• ‘Your liver will still make enough bile to digest your food but, instead of being stored in the gallbladder, it drips continuously into your digestive system’
• ‘Surgery side effects are temporary. (bloating, flatulence and diarrhea – this can last a few weeks)’
• Eat a normal diet straight away – you can return to a normal diet
• Only some people experience symptoms similar to those caused by gallstones after surgery (tummy pain, indigestion, diarrhoea).
• In most cases symptoms are mild and short-lived
• Very rarely, patients notice that their bowels are a little looser (diarrhea) than before the operation.
• You will be able to eat a normal diet after your operation
• Unfortunately there is no non-surgical alternative; the only successful treatment is to remove (the gall bladder and) gallstones completely.
• Can I manage without my Gall Bladder? Yes. The gall bladder is a reservoir for bile and we are able to manage without it. Rarely patients notice that their bowels are a little looser than before the operation but this is uncommon
• Very rarely, patients notice that their bowels are a little looser (diarrhea) than before the operation.
• You will be able to eat a normal diet after your operation
• Unfortunately there is no non-surgical alternative; the only successful treatment is to remove (the gall bladder and) gallstones completely.
• Can I manage without my Gall Bladder? Yes. The gall bladder is a reservoir for bile and we are able to manage without it. Rarely patients notice that their bowels are a little looser than before the operation but this is uncommon
• “Generally once the gall bladder is removed the symptoms you have had will resolve. In some instances they persist for a short time and then get better”
• “Removal of the gall bladder does not usually impair the digestive system”
• “There are no other effective, safe, durable and widely accepted alternatives to surgery”. “The other alternative is to have no treatment.”
• “you may experience some diarrhoea after surgery. This should settle within three or four weeks. If the diarrhoea is bothersome your local chemist can advice you on over-the-counter remedies.”
• “Your gall bladder is not an essential organ. If it is removed, bile flows to your intestines directly from your liver and digestion continues as normal.”
Note: There is NO end to end medical study known to man kind that will back these claims, minimizing side effects, no risks or alternative treatment options. This makes gallbladder surgery the worlds largest informed consent surgery frauds and due to the numbers affected, a crime against humanity and woman ( more likely to under go surgery) .
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Article 5: No one shall be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
Note: If your gallbladder is about to kill, it must come out. Unfortunately when post health problem kick in (risk high as 43% for woman), the good doctors will maintain the deception, ‘your heath issues don’t exist’ or even ‘it’s in your head’, or ‘not a result of gallbladder removal / surgery’, go away – after taking your $$$$ for tests looking for answer for root cause they claim they have no idea ‘WHY’.
Is Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC) the largest health consumer surgery fraud?
