[Rationing in surgery and high-tech medicine]

There has been much debate about cost-cutting in health care. In this context, the term rationing means that acceptable services and measures with proven benefit are subject to limited allocation (or complete refusal thereof) due to a shortage of resources. After an introductory discussion about the "terminology" of rationing, achievements in premium health care will be critically elucidated in this regard. Chapter 2 focuses on the question of whether age is a valid criterion for the rationing of surgical care. Chapter 3 critically analyses the "societal solution" to the rationing problem. The way to solve society's tendency to become insatiable (pleonexia) is the same as the way to solve the shortage of resources, i.e. by "circumspection" or "moderation" on the part of each individual (sophrosyne).