What Are Your Body Parts Worth
Aristotle once said: The whole is more than the sum of its parts. Although he wasnt referring to body parts, the same philosophy could apply to body-part worth calculated by hospitals and insurance companies.
If you have ever been curious about the worth of your body parts, heres an overview.
Your entire body is worth $45 million, according to a study by the Indiana University School of Medicine. Vital organs no longer hold the distinction of being the most valuable body parts; instead, your bone marrow for all 206 bones in your body is worth $23 million . DNA is worth $9.7 million at $1.3 million per gram. And a kidney is worth more than a heart, bringing in $91,000 compared to $57,000 for a new ticker.
How Much Is Your Kidney Worth
https://www.nysun.com/opinion/how-much-is-your-kidney-worth/69669/
Why are so many people so hostile to free markets?
And yet, when innovators propose extending this benign power, people shriek in fear.
This was clear reading the Wall Street Journal not long ago.
The Letters section led with complaints about Bob Pooles column on well-maintained private highways that keep traffic moving. One writer complained that such highways exist for the privileged who can afford surprisingly large fees to drive a very boring 45 minutes around metropolitan Toronto. Highway 407 is certainly a great success for its bondholders.
Surprisingly large fees? Only if you are clueless about what you pay for free roads. And why is success for the bondholders a bad thing? Is the writer envious? If the ride is boring, he doesnt need to take it. No one forces anyone to use a private highway. Why do so many begrudge the successes that voluntary private exchanges bring?
That same days Journal also included a story on the radical idea of kidney selling.
Why is selling an organ radical? Banning the sale of kidneys kills thousands of people a year. That should be considered radical.
Why isnt someone with two healthy organs allowed to put one on the market? Because in 1984, Al Gore sponsored a law making the sale of organs punishable by five years in jail. Congress couldnt contain its enthusiasm; the bill passed 396 to six.
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Kidney Transplantation And South African Medical Hierarchies: Nursing Innovations And Inequities 1960s1990s
University of Johannesburg, Department of History, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Senior Research Associate, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Correspondence: Department of History, University of Saskatchewan, 9 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 1H1 Canada. Email:
University of Johannesburg, Department of History, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Senior Research Associate, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Correspondence: Department of History, University of Saskatchewan, 9 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 1H1 Canada. Email:
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Kidney Israel 200: $135000
Two Israeli organ traffickers were found guilty by an Israeli court for soliciting and trafficking people to become organ donors. Most of the victims were not paid. Whats worse, however, was the focus of their strategy: the traffickers targeted mentally-challenged Arabs and single mothers in the country. The donors would be flown to the Ukraine for surgery before being sent home. A judge, two doctors and another two accomplices were also convicted. Court affidavit revealed that they were selling the kidneys for $135,000.
In The United States There Are 123000 People In Need Of An Organ How Much Are Your Body Parts Worth Laci Is Here To Discuss Why Human Organs Are So Valuable
In theory, if you could harvest every organ and chemical in your body, you could make a cool $45M! But in reality, Medical Transcription estimates, the average price of a human dead body is more likely to fetch around $550,000 .
So how does that all break down? Well, first depends if were talking about selling your organs legally or via the black market. The biggest-ticket organ you can legally sell in the U.S. is your heart: Theyre going for a cool $1 million. Livers come in second, worth about $557,000 and kidneys fetch about $262,000 each. Widespread diabetes and heart disease is what have made these particular organs so expensive.
On the black market, however, prices are considerably lower: maybe 10% of the above costs. In the US alone, there are currently 123,000 people waiting for organs , but only about 14,000 organs are donated per year. This means every day about 18 die waiting for a transplant. This world-wide organ shortage have caused a black market to crop up: the old supply and demand thing. Surely Adam Smith had no idea the economic concept he coined would one day be applied to human skin , stomach and eyeballs one day.
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William Shatner Starred In A Movie Entirely In Esperanto
In the 1880s, Polish oculist;L.L. Zamenhof invented a new language dubbed Esperanto, envisioned as a single worldwide language that would bridge cultural, ethnic, and religious divides. Esperanto faded into obscurity, but experienced a resurgence in the 1960s;that led to the production of the low-budget horror film, “Incubus,”;featuring dialogue entirely in Esperanto.
The star of “Incubus” was William Shatner; neither he nor the other actors spoke Esperanto, noted a Quartz history of the film, and learned their dialogue phonetically. The movie flopped, and did nothing to bring Esperanto into the public consciousness .;
In an excerpt from his 2012 book, “Shatner Rules,” excerpted on his website, Shatner recalled receiving an angry note from Esperanists, attached to a rock thrown through his window, who were irked that they weren’t consulted for “Incubus.”;Shatner wrote that he has never seen the film , but clearly recognized it wasn’t a career high point. “I took it upon myself to destroy every copy of ‘Incubus’ I could find,” he wrote.
Astrazeneca: More Than 70%
Evans said it was harder to ascertain a figure for AstraZenecas vaccine because late-stage trials used differing study designs, and a large US study was ongoing. The FDA also has not yet presented the data for the shot in the same way it has done for other vaccines.
A single dose of AstraZenecas shot was 76% effective at protecting against COVID-19 with symptoms for at least 90 days, according to late-stage-trial data on February 19. The study authors also reported that one dose provided 100% protection against hospitalization, but the numbers were small.;
Based on his reading of existing studies, Evans said the single-dose efficacy for AstraZenecas vaccine was probably at least 70% against COVID-19 with symptoms for the first 90 days. After this time period, its unclear, he said.
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What Needs To Be Done
Organ and tissue donation has not received the priority that it should have from the South African government. A few concrete steps would make a dramatic difference.
Firstly, the government needs to develop a central strategy to help alleviate uncertainties and fears whether real or imagined around tissue and organ donation. This will help enable South Africa to become a society that forsakes superstition in favour of sound scientific facts on how to save and improve lives.
Secondly, worries about organ trafficking and black-market transactions need to be addressed. Media coverage on organ trafficking puts organ donation and the request for donation in a negative light.
The crime of organ trafficking generates around $840 million to $1.7 billion annually. Kidneys are the most commonly trafficked organ. A scandal that had international repercussions hit the headlines 20 years ago when a syndicate operating in South Africa was uncovered that had been involved in selling kidneys from hundreds of illegal kidney transplants at hospitals in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
The events caused a lot of reputational harm which still lingers today.
Fourthly, a national policy on organ and tissue procurement is critically needed. Healthcare providers in state and private hospitals must follow a uniform approach to organ and tissue procurement.
Fifth, South Africa also needs a national or central database and procurement agency.
How Much Is A New Water Trial Worth
Lets put some money on what I just said.;Is it worth a million dollars to know that 2.25 or even 2 liters/day of urine will prevent a second stone as;well as 2.6 liters/day?;Is it worth $100,000 to know that fact?
As you think about this question, remember research money is tax dollars, the amount for kidney stone research is very limited, and what would;used for another water;trial cannot be used for something else.
Given this, should;another trial consume research funds? Would a yes answer delight you, make you feel your money had been well spent?
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There Are A Number Of Reasons To Treat A Kidney Stone Even If It Is Not Causing Any Painful Symptoms
Recurring urinary tract infections
Some kidney stones may be infected, and in many cases, despite proper antibiotic treatment, the infection cannot be cleared from the stone. In such cases, the only way to remove the infection completely is to remove the stone.
Staghorn stones
These are extremely large stones that grow to fill the inside of the kidney. There are serious health risks associated with these stones, and left untreated they are associated with an increased risk of kidney failure.
Occupational requirements
For example, the Federal Aviation Administration will not allow a pilot to fly until all stones have been cleared from his or her kidney. Other occupations also do not allow for the unplanned passage of a kidney stone.
Extensive travel
The patient who, whether for business or otherwise, travels to locales where medical care is not reliable may wish to consider preventive treatment.
Patient preference
After thorough consideration of all options available to them, many patients elect to remove their stones at a time when it is convenient for them.
Your Womb: Between $20000 And $25000
Surrogacy is still a controversial issue in the U.S.not all states recognize the practicedespite a slew of celebrities whove admitted to paying someone to carry their child.
Women can make between $20,000 and $25,000 to carry anothers child, according to Newsweek:
Surrogates challenge our most basic ideas about motherhood, and call into question what weve always thought of as an unbreakable bond between mother and child. Its no wonder many conservative Christians decry the practice as tampering with the miracle of life, while far-left feminists liken gestational carriers to prostitutes who degrade themselves by renting out their bodies.
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Is Water All We Need
Maybe water is enough for a first time stone former.;But even with drugs prevention is less effective as pretreatment stones mount up.
Here are all the trials we have that used medications and hydration.;It plots the percent new stones relapse percent on a log scale from 10% to 50%; against the numbers of stones formed before treatment log scale from 1 to 20 pretreatment stones.;Plotted that way, relapse rate rises with the number of stones.
Given this pattern, maybe you would want to avoid the second;stone as best you can by doing more than water at the beginning.
At the beginning, I not only;increase fluids;but also advise all the other diet changes that have a good hope of reducing stones;because they are safe and because they point patients to eat what experts have fashioned as the ideal US diet.;In my clinic not a trial patients with one stone given multiple treatments are labelled multi on the graph. They have the same outcome 11% as those from the trial treated with high fluids labeled water. But many were in treatment much longer than 5 years, so they had more time to make new stones.
Can Small Kidney Stones Pass Naturally
Kidney stones of less than 5mm are considered to be small. Small kidney stones can easily pass through the urinary tract without any medical assistance. 4mm size stones have 80% chances to pass through the kidneys in about a month, but 5mm size stones have 60% chances of passage in about 45 days.
To pass small-sized kidney stones naturally in urine, certain home remedies can be helpful such as increased fluid intake, increased water, lemon and citrus juice consumption and low salt, calcium and protein diet. High water concentration does not allow growth of kidney stones and they can slowly pass along with the urine. Read about passing of kidney stones with urine.
If you experience any pain in the lower abdomen during passing of the kidney stones, you can take an analgesic such as ibuprofen or any other painkiller as suggested by the doctor. Painkillers help in relieving pain and also speed up the process of passing the stone. Read about relieving kidney pain.
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More Factors That Affect The Cost Of Lithotripsy
- Prescriptions A physician may prescribe painkillers or antibiotics post-procedure. To avoid high prescription prices, make sure the prescriptions you receive are covered by your insurance policy. You can also ask if there is a generic version of the same medicine, which can help lower the cost.
- Additional office visits In some cases, you may be charged a separate fee for an initial consultation with the surgeon before the procedure. Also, your doctor will want to see you for a follow-up appointment in the weeks after your procedure. Additional visits or treatments may be necessary. Ask if these follow up visits are included in the total cost of your procedure.
What Is A Kidney Stone Size Chart
Kidney stones vary in sizes. Therefore, as discussed above, the composition, their treatment and removal, time they take in passing through the urine, and their other characteristics may also vary based on their sizes. A kidney stone size chart is an easy way to tabulate and illustrate the important pieces of information about one or more of these factors associated with varying sizes of kidney stones.
A kidney stone size chart may show a correlation between possible treatment options and various sizes of the kidney stone. Another type of a kidney stone size chart may show correlation between kidney stone sizes and their compositions and so on.
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Insured Vs Uninsured Cost Differences
Insured patients have historically paid less than uninsured patients for a lithotripsy, especially when they stay in-network. When a patient has insurance, they share payment responsibility with their insurance company. On the other hand, for patients who dont have health insurance, the cost of their lithotripsy falls on them and, ultimately, costs more.
Can A 5 Mm Kidney Stone Be Passed
The smaller the kidney stone, the more likely it will pass on its own. If it is smaller than 5 mm , there is a 90% chance it will pass without further intervention. If the stone is between 5 mm and 10 mm, the odds are 50%. If a stone is too large to pass on its own, several treatment options are available.
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It Has Been Said That Passing A Kidney Stone Is The Closest A Man Will Get To Experiencing The Pain Of Labor And Childbirth But Is That True
Sure, theres heavy breathing, moaning and pain involved. But, is having a kidney stone comparable to giving birth?
As it turns out, theres no cut-and-dried answer. Kidney stones can range in size, from a grain of sand to the size of a golf ball.
Kidney stone pain can be very severe, and many patients report it as the worst they have ever experienced, according to Mike Nguyen, MD, urologist at;USC Urology of Keck Medicine of USC and associate professor of clinical urology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. But, how does this compare to the pain of childbirth? It turns out that the reported amount of pain in both situations is almost identical.
Does Water Reduce Stones
Given the results above, just under 3 liters of water;should reduce stones, but does it? Has anyone tried it?
Here is the one trial,;in first time calcium oxalate stone formers. Group 2 patients were told to stay hydrated. Group 1 patients were urged to hydrate lavishly and met frequently with nurses who coached them on. Urine volumes at five years were 2.62 liters/day in the Group 1 and 1.01 liters/day in the Group 2 patients.
What about supersaturation? Did water lower it?
Of course it did: CaOx SS 9.9 in the low flow group and 2.6 in the high flow group. For CaP SS, values were 1.58 vs. 0.48. All p values <0.001.
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Should Organ Donors Be Paid The Heavy Toll Of Us Kidney Shortage
Time is not on Duane Oates side. His body is being slowly poisoned.
Three years ago he found out that his kidneys had begun to shut down. Now, most days the 56-year-old spends hours hooked up to a dialysis machine that removes excess fluid and waste building up inside him.
Although doctors refer to dialysis as kidney replacement therapy, it is a stopgap at best. The machine does only 15% of the job of a normal kidney. Whats going on with the other 85% Im not getting? Oates asks, sitting in a medical recliner at a clinic near Washington DC. Every day that Im on dialysis my body is getting less healthy.
The problem is that the US, like nearly every country, is experiencing a permanent shortage of donors. Oates is healthy enough for a kidney transplant, but only 22,000 are performed in the US every year. There are 100,000 people in the queue.
The shortage is particularly acute in big cities, where the wait can last as long as 10 years. Meanwhile, as toxins continue to collect in patients bodies, they face increasing risks of heart disease and stroke.
Most people who need a kidney transplant unfortunately will never receive it because they die while on the waiting list, says Dr Keith Melancon, who heads the kidney transplant unit at George Washington University hospital.
The scale of the crisis in the US which spends more on kidney care and carries out more transplants than any other nation is startling. Kidney disease affects one in seven adults.