The Dark Side of Online Surgery: Disfiguring Patients for Profit

Surgeons are increasingly performing a complex hernia repair surgery known as component separation, which they learned from videos on social media, leading to disfigurement and complications for patients. The procedure, originally used in plastic surgery, has seen a tenfold increase in Medicare billing over the past 15 years. Many surgeons are attempting the operation without proper training or when it is not necessary, endangering patients. The use of robots in hernia surgeries, such as the da Vinci robot, has also contributed to the rise in component separations. Surgeons are attracted to the procedure because it earns them and hospitals more money, as Medicare pays significantly more for component separations compared to simpler hernia repairs.