I have watched more apendixis and gallbladders become acute and infected in the past four years than ever before.
Back a ways any clown with a medical degree could diagnose and get treatment for either.
These days the requirements for procedures and scans before treatment is prodigious. And if there are not all the indicators they are forced to wait, and pretend that there is nothing wrong. Have see THREE young to middle aged adults with debilitating post op issues after gallbladders or appendix removed too late. One man out for a year and with two additional surgeries.
Called my local epidemiologist to discuss this trend. Sorry he said, we don’t track this sort of thing.
damn... around here it's 7-10 days from PCP referral to H&P and OR scheduling for all carriers based on the surgeons word of medical necessity so long as it's scheduled as out-patient procedure, welfare and medicare don't even require authorization for inpatient stays