No matter where the doctor and the anesthesiologist are going to perform the surgery, there will be a cost for the facility. This cost includes and nurses or other staff necessary for the procedure, equipment and supplies to be used and the facility’s general overhead. If the work must be performed in a hospital, there is going to be a higher charge involved than the fee charged for a simpler office procedure. Finally, this fee will include any costs involved in the anticipated recovery after the surgery.
If a small procedure has been performed and a local anesthetic was administered the patient may be up, walking around, feeling fine and ready to leave after a final examination by the surgeon. However, if the work was more complex, if an anesthetic was necessary to keep the patient asleep for several hours, and if the pain quotient is expected to be higher due to the nature of the problem being addressed, it will be several more hours before the patient is examined and allowed to leave. All of these factors will affect the facility fee and should be completely discussed beforehand.
In some instances, the doctor may be offering a package price. If this makes you uncomfortable for any reason or if the total price for the work you are requesting does not feel proper, ask for a breakdown. If his breakdown does not conform with these averages, or if his explanations do nothing to allay your concerns, get a second opinion.