Ambulatory surgery centers, known as ASCs, are health care facilities that provide outpatient surgical care, with no overnight stay required. Recent advances in surgical techniques, anesthesia, and pain management, have allowed ASCs to grow both in the types and quantities of surgeries performed. Surgery centers allow you to save 26% less time compared to having the same surgery performed in a hospital setting.
We’ve built our state-of-the-art facilities from the ground up and designed them to provide our patients with complete comfort, utilizing soft colors and plenty of lighting, including skylights.
They also offer more complex procedures, like those for joints, bones, ear, nose, and throat, plastic, reconstructive, and even the abdomen. Part of the growth of ASCs can be attributed to progress made with minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Because these procedures are far less invasive, the amount of anesthesia, pain, and recovery time is also reduced.
There are other reasons why ASCs have become not just viable, but a comparable option to inpatient.
We seldom wonder if a surgery is going to be “convenient,” but when you consider the amount of staff required, the demands on the space, and the possibility of delays due to sudden emergencies, it’s easy to see how procedures performed in a traditional hospital setting could quickly become inconvenient. Ambulatory surgery centers, on the other hand, offer ease of scheduling and incur fewer delays since fewer emergencies are scheduled. Additionally, they are typically located away from busy (and larger) medical centers, which means easier access and parking.
Medical care is expensive, but ambulatory surgery centers have found a way to decrease those costs. By being specialized in specific procedures and structured to function efficiently, ambulatory surgery centers enjoy lower overhead—which results in lower costs for insurance carriers and patients. Studies have shown ASCs are on average up to 60% less expensive than hospital procedures. And this benefits everybody.
Like any hospitals, ASCs are required to meet federal and state guidelines. To be licensed, they must pass not only an initial inspection, but must continue adhering to regulations and reporting. ASCs are typically Medicare certified, and many voluntarily go one step further and participate in accreditation programs and independent healthcare rating agencies.
Studies also show a lower rate of infection in ambulatory surgery centers. Surgical site infection is half what you would find in a hospital setting on average: Hospital setting = 8.95/1000 while in a surgery center = 4.84/1000 patients*. Simply put, the risk of patients acquiring an illness or contagious disease at an ASC is significantly reduced, by almost half.
Much of this can be attributed to the avoidance of scheduling patients with known infection and the reduced exposure to patients with far more critical medical issues.
Relying on an ASC for your procedure is much less stressful. Along with the reasons above, there’s the added benefit of recovering in your home, compared to a hospital setting.
One final thing to consider: ambulatory surgery centers, like our ASC in Killeen, focus on a select number of procedures, which means your treatment is provided by professionals specialized in your issues. Surveys report higher patient satisfaction with the care provided at an ASC.
It’s easy to see why an ASC is the best choice for your care. And we expect more and more patients will reach the same decision. That’s why, to better accommodate this growing patient population, we’re building two new surgery centers in North and South Austin. This way we can offer the most advanced interventional procedures and surgeries in the safest environment possible. And that means the best outcome for you.
If you suffer from a condition that requires minor or day surgery, consider the benefits of an ambulatory surgery center. Then, give us a call to schedule a consultation. We think the benefits you’ll find in our ambulatory surgery center to be a welcome relief.
Source: https://www.ossmnewark.com/news/infection-risk-ambulatory-surgery-centers-safer-hospitals