I can't defend the US cost entirely. It certainly seems exorbitant. That said, I think there are some things baked into the US cost that most patients probably want. A certain degree of post-operative care that maximizes comfort under the circumstances, for example. Possibly also factors that affect the success of the surgery. Heart surgery isn't necessarily over once they close you up. It's great that surgery is being made so much more accessible, of course, but these procedures are probably not comparable.