Although hospitals are good for kidney transplants and heart surgery they are not a very good choice for concerns such as a laceration in need of stitches. The NY Times ran a piece in their series on the astronomical cost of care provided in hospitals.
In the article they highlight the cost to close a simple laceration on a child; the hospital charged over $2000 to repair the simple wound. In reality, the actual price is much lower – likely around $1000. Nonetheless, this represents a massive overcharge compared to what it would cost to have the same wound sutured in your pediatrician’s, family physician’s or dermatologist’s office. For the wound photographed in the article, our actual price would be less than $500 for a layered, plastic surgical repair.
If you or a loved one are in need of a laceration repair we can help! The ER/ED is almost never the best place to go. Our physicians are experts in plastic surgical repair of simple and complex skin wounds on all body surfaces. Same day appointments are often available.
