Wealthy New Yorkers Seek Costly Bladder Surgeries In An Effort To Curb Bathroom Pit Stops On Their Way To The Hamptons
“Race to the Hamptons, not to the bathroom.” That is the tagline New York City urologist Dr. David Shusterman has been using to advertise to wealthy New Yorkers.
Long Island is infamous for its traffic congestion– and the problem has only gotten worse over the years.
Plus, once the summer rolls around, countless families look to take day trips or weekend getaways out east.
So, making it to popular summer destinations such as Montauk or the Hamptons can take hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
But why does traffic matter? Well, older New Yorkers have been suffering from the newly-coined phenomenon “Hampton’s bladder.”
And a prolonged trip across the island due to too much traffic means too many bathroom pitstops.
These N.Y. residents have become embarrassed about their frequent bathroom breaks, and those who can afford it have turned to medical solutions– including visiting Dr. Shusterman’s office for procedures like prostate artery embolization (PAE) and “bladder Botox.”
“A lot of people have problems with this issue,” Dr. Shusterman said, “They come out to the Hamptons and have to stop four or five times on the way but cannot find a bathroom.”
Undergoing PAE will reduce prostate size in men, while bladder Botox will decrease the frequency of urination in women.
Rob Thomas – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purpose only, not the actual person
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And once spring rolls around, Dr. Shusterman experiences an influx of patients looking to reduce their flow. In fact, his office saw a twenty percent spike in patients this spring alone.
“I do not see them until around May. Then, all of a sudden, May comes around, and they care more,” Dr. Shusterman explained.
On average, he has been performing about ten PAE procedures and one or two bladder Botox procedures each week.
And while frequent urination is a widespread issue amongst the older population– affecting over 25 million adult Americans– medically fixing the issue is definitely not within most people’s budget.
Undergoing PAE can cost up to twenty thousand dollars out of pocket if your insurance does not cover the procedure.
And while bladder Botox’s exact price will depend upon the amount injected, the effects of the procedure will only last about six months. In turn, it will likely become a recurring expense each summer.
So if you plan to travel out east this summer but don’t want to shell out some serious cash, perhaps begin your trip at an off-peak time and remember not to slurp down too many beverages along the way.
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