X-Message-Number: 9850
Date: Wed, 03 Jun 1998 11:40:53 +0100
From:  (John de Rivaz)
Subject: Re: Cost of Reanimation

With regards to estimating the cost of reanimation, I wonder if it would be 
productive to see if the cost to patients any medical procedure actually 
falls. A common operation that has probably changed very little is an 
appendectomy. Do any medical people on this list know how the cost of this 
has changed over the decades?

There must be advances in technology that have made an appendectomy easier, 
safer and quicker. A shorter stay in hospital would be a substantial cost 
saver. However fees to the surgeon, anaesthetist etc as well as the hospital 
fees per day have probably risen at a high multiple of general inflation 
costs. Also the proportion of the costs being taken by the regulatory 
machinery and associated professionals will have risen quite substantially.

Anyone any ideas as to the actual figures?

Of course if reanimation is simply a "magical" process of sprinking some 
nano powder on a frozen body and stepping back and watching, then 
speculation about appendectomies is irrelevant. The cost of such a "magical" 
process can be equated with the cost of computers and digital watches. 
However as many people have said mixing nanotechnology speculation with 
magic and wishful thinking is unlikely to produce a result that has anything 
to do with reality. 
   

Incidentally, I don't see how compound interest (expecially after tax) can 
outgrow inflation in the long term - some equity exposure must be used in 
investments intended for reanimation. 


-- 
Sincerely,     * Longevity Report:  http://www.longevb.demon.co.uk/lr.htm
John de Rivaz  * Fractal Report:    http://www.longevb.demon.co.uk/fr.htm
**************** Homepage:http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JohndeR
    In the information age, sharing can increase world wealth enormously,
        because giving information does not decrease your information.

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