Do doctors put a patient age limit on what procedures they do?

Patnono said:
Unfortunately they do, my aunt in her late 80's was refused to do gallbladder surgery because of her age. A friends husband had heart issues, they told her to take him home to die. I'm hearing they won't even treat cancer? It's the insurance companies deciding this.
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With some situations, the risk/benefit has to be considered. Re: Treating cancer, every case is different. An aggressive cancer requires more-aggressive treatment, & that treatment can (and has) killed patients. You may recall when Mike Connors was diagnosed with Leukemia at age 91, there wasn't anything that could be done for him. He died soon after diagnosis. (I don't know if he was treated or not).
When my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer, he was 74. At first, I was surprised when his oncologist said "We're not going to treat him because he will probably outlive it & the treatment will ruin the quality of his life with no benefit." He died at 88 from a fall. In that case they were right.
 

My primary no longer orders PSAs for guys over 70 unless their dads had prostate cancer. Reasons given
1) Too many false positives resulting in unnecessary procedures and
2) If your PSAs were good up to 70, something other than prostate cancer is going to get you.

I suspect insurance cos. have put pressure on MDs in these regards.
 
debodun said:
In 2005, I had a fall and broke the middle finger of my left hand. Good thing I am right handed. Even after surgery, it never healed properly and the finger is still bent and I have no mobility in that finger - all the joints seem frozen. After the surgery I learned that the orthopedic surgeon that I consulted did not actually do the surgery - he let his intern do it as a training practice.
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The outcomes of hand surgery, regardless of who performed it, are not in the patients favor. I would never recommend anyone other than a hand specialist. The tendon attachments are complex and can make it feel like the joint is frozen. Have you seen another doctor for a second opinion?
 

jujube said:
The doctor wanted the Spousal Equivalent's 95-year-old mother to have a Pap Smear and a Mammogram. Really, Dr. Dude? We declined. At that point, female problems were the least of her troubles. She died only a few months later.
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Yup, why just let someone die when we can profit while they're still here?
My Veterinarian also suggested "complete lab tests for my 16-year old Lab (average life span for a Lab is 12 years).
I asked, "How much does it cost?"
"$600.00, but isn't he worth it? she asked."
"Of course he's worth it, but if you can guarantee that it will extend his quality years, I'll be glad to pay for it."
"Uh....well....I can't," she replied.
I said, "I didn't think so; you're just after $600.00 & using my love for my dog as a tool for profit." Needless to say, I never saw her again. But I did, however chuckle at the dirty look she gave me.
 
Damaged Goods said:
My primary no longer orders PSAs for guys over 70 unless their dads had prostate cancer. Reasons given
1) Too many false positives resulting in unnecessary procedures and
2) If your PSAs were good up to 70, something other than prostate cancer is going to get you.

I suspect insurance cos. have put pressure on MDs in these regards.
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I believe it's absolutely true, it's about the bottom line.
 
win231 said:
Yup, why just let someone die when we can profit while they're still here?
My Veterinarian also suggested "complete lab tests for my 16-year old Lab (average life span for a Lab is 12 years).
I asked, "How much does it cost?"
"$600.00, but isn't he worth it? she asked."
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I hate when vets try to make you feel guilty about thinking twice in getting a lot of expensive tests and procedures for an older pet. I always tell people that they want to get as much money out of you before the animal goes to the Rainbow Bridge. My mom spent $2000 on one of her cats that was hit by a car. Even after that, the end result was the same - it passed anyway. I say let nature take its course and just make your pet as comfortable as possible. If it is in pain, please have it humanely euthanized.
 
debodun said:
I hate when vets try to make you feel guilty about thinking twice in getting a lot of expensive tests and procedures for an older pet. I always tell people that they want to get as much money out of you before the animal goes to the Rainbow Bridge. My mom spent $2000 on one of her cats that was hit by a car. Even after that, the end result was the same - it passed anyway. I say let nature take its course and just make your pet as comfortable as possible. If it is in pain, please have it humanely euthanized.
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My elderly mom Medicare doctors took advantage of it. Having her take all kinds of proceedures Diabetes when come to find out she didn't have it parkensons desease, brain scans there wasn't a need for it. And on and on
 
911 said:
I had a procedure done early yesterday morning. The Anesthesiologist told me that he would be using Propofol. My blood oxygen level was 98% going into surgery. I woke easily and was ready to leave in a half hour after awakening.

From what I have read, Propofol is the drug of choice for putting patients to sleep for a simple surgery. There are other drugs that are more potent that are used for longer surgeries.

Someday in the future, I would hope safer drugs would be developed to put patients asleep.
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I was given Propofol for a surgery and it was an amazing anesthesia. It put me right out completely and then I immediately woke up afterwards with no side effects whatsoever and I felt great afterwards.
 
General anesthetics usually make me nauseated afterwards. I had GE for my fibroid embolization and for setting my broken leg. I have no idea what they used and the doctors don't volunteer that information.
 
In my observations and experiences, it has depended on the particular surgery or procedure, and perhaps in some instances, the particular doctor.


For colonoscopy, specifically, the guidelines that doctors generally go by, say that over a certain age (can't remember, maybe 80)
then the risks usually outweigh the benefits. The complications of that procedure in particular, including possible bowel perforation, are more common, in older years than when younger, so it's thought best to avoid that,
UNLESS there's some more pressing reason for it than family history.

Versed is used for multiple procedures, and is pleasant, as you said, but while it also causes you to forget what happened,
the anesthesiologist told me there is recent info that it might exacerbate other memory problems long-term, if memory problems are at all a concern. So i said, okay, and agreed to the suggested Propofol, for an outpatient surgery, and had no problems with it, in that setting.
 


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