The gallbladder is one of the less popular organs of the body that sometimes, issues and symptoms it causes can sometimes be related to other parts of the body until they are detected or ruled out as otherwise.
Some of the most common gallbladder problems are the gallstones, biliary colic, inflammation, and dysfunctional gallbladder, all of which manifests in similar symptoms ranging from severe abdominal pain, chest pain, to indigestion and excessive gas.
Once the right diagnosis has been determined, the gallbladder surgery is often required especially when the symptoms become more intense over time.
So how much does gallbladder surgery cost and what are the factors you need to consider in choosing the right healthcare provider? Let us tackle each as we go along in this article.
Average Cost of Gallbladder Surgery
According to Healthcare Bluebook, the acceptable average price of gallbladder surgery is between $5,625 and $17,585 with the fair price sitting at $7,034.
Some of the average gallbladder removal costs by Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy around the country are the following:
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Below is the average price of gallbladder surgery per facility in different parts of the country:
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What are Included
Based on the fair price above, the following are the coverage of the average price of gallbladder surgery:
- Facility Services – $4,336
This includes the price of an outpatient procedure only. An overnight stay would have an additional cost.
- Professional fee of the surgeon – $1,623
This includes the doctor’s charge for the procedure as well as post-operative care after the removal of the gallbladder.
- Anesthesia – $1,075
This includes the average anesthesia required to last for one and a half hour and may vary depending on the actual time required for the surgery or procedure.
Additional Costs
Depending on the facility where the procedure was performed, the following might be included in your hospital bill especially during emergency admission:
- ER doctor – if you went through the emergency room after a very painful stomach which radiates through the chest and back which is typically the main symptom of gallbladder issues.
- Pathologist – to be able to diagnose a gallbladder issue, some blood tests might be required or performed
- Radiologist – various imaging are also required to see actual gallbladder problems
Shopping for Gallbladder Surgery
The American College of Gastroenterology or ACG offers locator for doctors and surgeons specializing in this kind of procedure.
Meanwhile, New Choice Health offers a free estimate of the procedure just by entering your zip code and the procedure you are looking for.
Factors Affecting Gallbladder Removal Cost
As with other types of medical procedures, Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy price can also be affected by a lot of factors, including:
- The facility – the rate of the hospitals and facilities for each state, cities, and counties, across the country vary due to cost of living and cost of doing business. Also, the equipment of these facilities sometimes can be a factor in the overall cost of the procedure.
- The type of gallbladder removal procedure – your choice or that of the doctor whether to go for the laparoscopic cholecystectomy or the open type would dictate the cost as the former is often the prescribed procedure because it is cheaper and also less invasive.
- The severity of the condition – as the condition becomes severe when left untreated; the open type of gallstone removal would likely be required and may actually be more expensive.
- The doctor – the level of expertise and the experience of the gastroenterologist performing the procedure would most likely be a factor in the cost of the procedure, more especially if the said doctor is very sought-after in the field.
- Urgency – emergency situation calls for emergency care and may automatically entail more cost due to additional services like being treated in the emergency room and some additional diagnostic procedures and tests.
- Insurance – what your insurance provider would cover would be the basis of how much cash you need to shell out as this procedure is typically covered but it would depend on your policy if they would cover partially or fully the entire procedure. It may also help to choose a facility that is within the network of the insurance company to save on cost.
- Cash payments – some hospitals provide discounts for cash-paying patients ranging from 10% to 50% of the cost for the uninsured patients.
Additional Information
The conventional type of gallbladder removal which is the open type can still be performed but are becoming less and less of an option since it is more invasive because of the large incision, has longer healing time, and has more possible complications.
However, there are instances where it is the required type to remove a patient’s gallbladder due to some factors like if previous surgery in the area has already been performed, the patient has a bleeding problem, or for some reason the surgeon is having problem seeing the patient’s gallbladder clearly like in the case of obesity.