Cristina
Colonoscopies are common same day surgery procedures that are now routinely done in outpatient surgical settings. The advantages to having this performed in an ambulatory setting are many. They include faster recovery as research has shown that patients recover quicker when they are at home, eliminating risk of hospital acquired infections, and reduction in cost. These are big advantages for the patients. One other big advantage is that it frees up hospital beds for patients that really need it, such as a patient having a heart attack. This is an advantage that affects the community at large.
Pamela
Spine Surgery
According to the medical journal, Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 5, ambulatory spine surgeries have grown dramatically over the last decade because of the significant advancement in healthcare.
Advantages of having the procedure performed in an ambulatory setting are:
· Patient costs are lower because overhead costs are lower
· Smaller facilities and patients get better care results
· Surgeries are less invasive now, meaning no hospital stay, equals lower risk of infection
· Advancements in anesthetics have managed to block all pain receptors for a longer period of time. Because of this, patients can go home to recover and continue to manage their own pain.
Who are they an advantage to?
· Physician ownership ASCs
· Patients
· Insurance companies
Reference:
Badlani N. (2019). Ambulatory surgery center ownership models. Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 5(Suppl 2), S195–S203. https://doi.org/10.21037/jss.2019.04.20
Meron
One procedure that was once commonly performed in hospitals but is now being performed in ambulatory surgery centers is cataract surgery.
Advantage 1: Cost-effective
One advantage of having cataract surgery performed in an ambulatory setting is that it is more cost-effective. Ambulatory surgery centers do not have the same overhead costs as hospitals, so the cost of the procedure is typically lower. This is an advantage to patients who may not have insurance coverage for the procedure or who have high deductibles or copays.
Advantage 2: Reduced risk of hospital-acquired infections
Another advantage of having cataract surgery performed in an ambulatory setting is that there is a reduced risk of hospital-acquired infections. Ambulatory surgery centers are typically smaller than hospitals and have fewer patients, which means there is less chance of exposure to infectious diseases. This is an advantage to both patients and healthcare providers, as it can lead to faster recovery times and fewer complications.
Overall, having cataract surgery performed in an ambulatory setting is advantageous because it can be more cost-effective and can reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections. These advantages are present in an ambulatory setting over an inpatient setting because ambulatory surgery centers are designed to provide efficient, high-quality care in a more streamlined and cost-effective manner.
Jisu
Gallbladder Removal (Cholecystectomy)
Reduced hospital stay and medical charges are significant advantages in performing cholecystectomy as an outpatient procedure for patients. The second advantage would be safe with minimal anesthesia in patient’s body. If the surgery is performed as open surgery, then the anesthesia will be more in the patient’s body which is better to be avoided for health purposes. Performing cholecystectomy usually requires four small incisions rather than a large cut across the patient’s abdomen which indicates that patients will be under anesthesia less with small cuts procedures.
Reference:
· Orenstein, B. W. (2021, July 9). 10 common outpatient procedures. Healthgrades. Retrieved February 20, 2023, from
· Zegarra RF 2nd, Saba AK, Peschiera JL. Outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy: safe and cost effective? Surg Laparosc Endosc. 1997 Dec;7(6):487-90. PMID: 9438633.
