More and more outpatient operations

Number of outpatient operations almost quadrupled

11/10/2014

More and more citizens in Bavaria come under the knife. The number of outpatient operations in the Free State has almost quadrupled since 2002. The inpatient treatments also increased. The Bavarian Ministry of Health attributes this to the aging population. A left-wing politician is responsible for the accounting system for the increase.

Outpatient operations almost quadrupled
More and more citizens are getting their knives in Bavaria's hospitals. Since 2002, the number of outpatient operations has almost quadrupled. According to a report by the news agency dpa, the Munich State Statistics Office reported that the number rose from a good 61,000 in 2002 to nearly 240,000 last year. And the number of in-patient treatments has increased by more than 200,000 over the past twelve years from just under 2.7 million to nearly 2.9 million. Surgery accounts for a good third of these inpatient treatments.

Slight decline in inpatient surgery
According to the Munich Ministry of Health, there has been a slight decline in inpatient surgery, at least in the past five years. However, this was much lower than the boom in outpatient surgery. According to the National Statistics Office, the change in hospital bills is the main cause of the rapid increase in outpatient surgery. In 2004, the case lump sums had been introduced.

Left politician criticizes billing system
The Nuremberg Left Bundestag Deputy Harald Weinberg, however, sees other backgrounds. To dpa he criticized: „Not the population is getting sicker, it suffers from the system.“ Through the billing system on case flat rates incentives are set for the clinics, „to treat as much as possible, as quickly as possible and with as few personnel as possible“. The Ministry of Health in Munich, on the other hand, attributes the increase in inpatient treatment to the aging population.

Advances in anesthesia
In addition, the statement of the Ministry states that medical progress offers more and more treatment options. In the meantime, older people are being operated more often than before. As a ministry spokesman explained, advances in anesthesia allowed for operations much older than a few years ago. Experts repeatedly suggest that patients should think carefully about whether to opt for outpatient treatment. Among other things, it has to be taken into account that everyday life is often difficult to accomplish even after a small outpatient surgery. (Ad)