About 50% surgeries performed in United States are un-necessary

Medical errors, including unnecessary treatments
and surgeries are the third leading cause of death

Hospital Rankings are misleading as it is based on the number
of procedures performed rather than the quality of outcomes

Blind Spot authored by Dr. Marty Makary reveals

USA: Dr Marty Makary, consultant in surgical oncology and gastrointestinal laparoscopic surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, has caused an earthquake in the American medical world by putting in black and white certain facts which are normally kept away from public gaze. His book, Blind Spot: The Global Rise of Unnecessary Health Care and What We Can Do About It, is selling like the proverbial hot cakes claims a report in circulation on social media.

Some of the startling revelations in his book are as under:

1. Over 50% of Surgeries Are Unnecessary: Studies suggest that more than half of all surgeries performed in the U.S. may not be medically necessary.
2. Medical Errors Are the Third Leading Cause of Death: Medical errors, including unnecessary treatments and surgeries, are the third leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease and cancer.
3. $1 Trillion in Waste: The U.S. healthcare system wastes an estimated $1 trillion each year due to unnecessary treatments, tests, and administrative inefficiencies.
4. Doctors Perform Procedures They Would Avoid for Themselves: Many doctors admit that they would not undergo certain surgeries or treatments that they routinely recommend to their patients.
5. Hospital Rankings Are Misleading: Many hospital ranking systems are based on the number of procedures performed rather than the quality of outcomes, incentivising hospitals to do more, not better.
6. 40% of Knee Replacements Are Unnecessary: A significant portion of knee replacement surgeries is unnecessary and could be avoided with less invasive treatment options.
7. C-Sections Are Overperformed: In the U.S., about one in three babies is delivered via cesarean section, often without a medical necessity, increasing risks for both mother and child.
8. Overuse of Antibiotics: Antibiotics are frequently prescribed for viral infections, which they do not treat, contributing to antibiotic resistance and harming patients’ microbiomes.
9. Lack of Transparency in Healthcare Pricing: Most patients have no idea what a procedure will cost until after it is performed, contributing to skyrocketing healthcare expenses.
10. End-of-Life Overtreatment: A significant portion of healthcare spending is on aggressive treatments in the last year of life, even when these treatments offer little or no benefit to the patient.
11. Misleading Screening Tests: Many routine cancer screening tests, like PSA for prostate cancer or mammograms, can lead to overdiagnosis, resulting in unnecessary treatments and anxiety.
12. 90% of Patients Don’t Get a Second Opinion: Despite the importance of second opinions in avoiding unnecessary treatments, the vast majority of patients don’t seek them.
13. Financial Incentives for Overtreatment: The fee-for-service payment model encourages doctors to perform more procedures, as they are paid per treatment rather than for outcomes.
14. Routine Care for Low-Risk Pregnancies: Many low-risk pregnancies are treated as high-risk, leading to unnecessary interventions, tests, and procedures.
15. Doctors Are Paid More for Surgery Than Non-Surgical Care: Doctors are financially incentivised to perform surgeries because they are reimbursed more for surgical interventions than for preventive or conservative treatments.
16. Overuse of Imaging: Diagnostic imaging tests like MRIs and CT scans are overused, leading to incidental findings that often result in unnecessary surgeries and treatments.
17. Up to 30% of Healthcare Is Unnecessary: Research suggests that up to 30% of all healthcare provided in the U.S. is unnecessary or even harmful.
18. Overdiagnosis of Thyroid Cancer: The rise in thyroid cancer diagnoses is largely due to overdiagnosis of small, non-threatening tumors, leading to unnecessary surgeries and treatments.