Heart surgery saves money

Press, 26 May 1977, Page 13

Heart surgery saves money

A survey has shown that a substantial amount of money can be saved by setting up a cardiac surgery unit. The survey conducted by a Wellington cardiac surgeon (Mr Hediey Brown) took account of the answers to questionnaires sent to 118 patients who had had operations in Wellington for coronary artery disease. Christchurch patients accounted for 80 per cent of the group. The cost to the Government each year that the patients were out pf work because of the disease was $4OOO per person in lost taxes and social welfare benefits, but the operation for the heart condition cost $1620 and 95 per cent of the patients returned to work within three months. In the following year the Government was repaid the cost of the operation in taxes on the patients salaries. Without the operation 57 per cent of the patients were forced to give up work as they suffered heart problems for an average of 44 months before the operation which put them in hospital for 10 days. The survey indicated that the Government would save about $320,000 on the 80 patients from the Christchurch area. It is estimated that there are more than 800 people in New Zealand on waiting lists for similar heart operations and to maintain these people without an operation would cost $3.2M a year.

The cost of a cardiac surgery unit would be less than SIM.