When doctors suggest surgery for your back, do they ever take into account how much money it’s costing because of the suffering and our inability to work?

When patients have chronic pain that affects their quality of life, doctors do usually take this into consideration when suggesting treatment options. For example, a recent study was done to discover if one of two spinal fusion surgeries was more cost effective than the other in terms of the initial surgery and follow up care.

As the cost of health care rises everywhere, care is taken to understand the unseen costs involved in surgery, such as the rate of re-operation, post-surgery clinical visits, rehabilitation, and the patient’s ability to work.