7 Most Expensive Medical Procedures

No. 4: Lung Transplant

Cost estimate: $800,000 (both lungs) and $560,000 (one lung)

A lung transplant procedure is a risky surgical intervention because it is performed on a fragile, yet vital organ in the body. Machinery needed to sustain breathing, which is routinely used in the operating room, is quite expensive. In addition, patients are typically required to spend quite a long time in recovery, they usually have to work with a respiratory therapist, and have to purchase medication to fight off infection. All of these amounts to a very high total cost for a lung transplant.