Ambulatory surgical centers (ASC) are revolutionary surgical facilities that carry many of the benefits of a typical hospital with a more outpatient feel. If you are having surgery, there are several reasons you should consider an ASC.
More Surgeon Control
Surgeons generally have more control over the services they provide when working in an ASC. When your surgeon works out of a hospital, there are numerous factors that can make your surgery more frustrating. For example, hospitals see all types of cases, whether they are scheduled or emergency surgery. You could have your surgery scheduled for months in advance, only to be pushed back to a surgical time later that day or on a different day because the surgical suite is needed for a more critical case. This is especially troublesome if you have significant anxiety or had a pre-op diet where you had to only consume liquids for days or weeks. Such a change is less likely to occur in an ASC unless your surgeon is called to an emergency at another hospital. Additionally, since surgeons can meticulously schedule their patients, you might receive your surgical date within weeks, rather than months, of making the decision with your surgeon.
Less Costly
Much like other outpatient settings, it is usually less expensive to have your surgery through an ASC than a hospital. Not only is the entire bills for your surgery reduced, because ASCs generally cost less than a hospital for all the services you would normally expect, such as surgeon's fees, the room, medication, and imaging, but your insurance company may bill you for a lower co-payment, simply by changing where you have surgery. Since the goal of an ASC is to have you out of the hospital in a reasonable time, such as by the afternoon or next morning, the bill for accommodations itself is drastically reduced. The model of an ASC includes more patient disclosure, so you might know the price of services well before you have surgery, unlike a hospital where your bill is usually a surprise.
Better Specificity
Although an ASC can be owned by a hospital, many of them are owned by one or more surgeons. An added benefit to a situation where a group of surgeons own the facility is you have the advantage of specificity in care. For example, one situation might be bariatric surgery. An ASC that specialized in bariatric surgery can mean each surgeon is well-versed a certain type of surgery and they can work together on patient cases. You might have surgeons who each perform a different type of bariatric surgery. Additionally, some surgeons may specialize in general and/or vascular surgery to address concerns of people who are among the super-obese. These issues could include additional procedures after bariatric surgery to remove large areas of lymphedema so the patient can be more mobile.
ASCs offer a unique advantage over hospitals or traditional outpatient procedures. If you are having surgery that generally requires a short hospital stay, see if there are ASCs available to meet your needs. For more information on surgical procedures, contact your local general surgeon.
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