Surgeons had invested hundred of thousands on education and they operate in hospitals that cost tens of millions to build and they operate with medical robots that costs as high as millions so I would say it's a preety big investment before you can actually operate someone.
i could write a 5 page essay explaining the whole financial scam involved in healthcare and insurance., but thats off-topic, so to summarise in short.
a hospital built in 1980 is paid in full (no mortgage or rent)
the heart rate monitors/x-rays/MRI bought by heart foundations and government healthcare budgets are pre-bought. no rental or per-use fee's
surgeons and nurses get paid a salary, whether they are in a operating room, or the staff canteen all day.
the only true costs of surgery are things that cannot be used twice (scalpels, sutures, gauze)
MHO (medical health organizations) make profit by having actual costs.. and then adding on fake rents, charging excessive fee's for use of TV, phone even an extra pillow.
if uk national insurance/american halthcare insurance was obliterated. and there was a system of pay what you use, on a TRUE and NON-profit basis, you would see the true costs
if you strip away all the fake fee's and see a true cost of surgury. then look at the final bill. you will be shocked.
They have 6 and 7 figure insurance policies as well.
6-7 figure liability, but only 2-3 digit premium cost