Cataract extraction is the world's most commonly performed operation. But records exist of cataract operations dating back 3,000 years to Babylonian times. The surgeon could charge 10 silver shekels for operating on a freeman or two silver shekels for a slave, the fees being fixed by law. There was quite an incentive for him to hone his skills, as there were also punishments, fixed by law, for unsatisfactory outcomes. If a slave was blinded, the surgeon had to provide a replacement out of his own pocket but if a freeman lost the sight of an eye, the surgeon's hand was cut off. The GMC advises that it has no plans to introduce similar sanctions.
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