The U.S. could spend nearly $1 billion less on healthcare over a decade if the number of emergency surgeries for several conditions were reduced by 10 percent, according to a recent study published in the Annals of Surgery.
A total of 621,925 patients were included in the study, which used data from 2001 to 2010.
The study shows it cost 30 percent more to do emergency surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair than elective surgery, 17 percent more for coronary artery bypass graft and 53 percent more for colon resection. The U.S. could have spent nearly $1 billion less if 10 percent of the emergency procedures had been planned, according to the study.
"Preventing emergency surgery through improved care coordination and screening offers a tremendous opportunity to save lives and decrease costs," the study reads.
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