While hospital settings can provide patients with advanced care services, some individuals feel overwhelmed by the entire procedure that is followed when hospitalized. This also yields high costs, which some people may need to pay out of their own pocket. Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) have become quite popular recently, offering an excellent alternative to hospitalization for surgical procedures that do not require the patient to remain at the hospital for an extended period of time.
Some ASCs tend to specialize in specific surgical procedures and fields, while others would provide a more general range of surgeries. In this post, we consider some of the benefits of an ambulatory surgery center and potential surgeries that can be performed at these facilities.
Why do people opt for Ambulatory Surgery Centers?
There are many reasons why people are starting to opt for undergoing surgical procedures at these centers compared to the hospital. The reduced costs involved with these centers would be the most important for many. According to one report, there are more than 5,000 ambulatory surgery centers in the United States already, and these perform more than 22 million procedures every single year. There are ASCs located in every state, and they are generally in convenient locations with plenty of free parking, making these facilities easily accessible to the average patient.
Even though the costs are lower compared to hospitalization, services provided at such a facility will often exceed what would be received at a larger institute. In one survey, only 2% of patients who underwent surgery at one of these centers were not satisfied with their experience – that means 98 out of every 100 people were very happy.
ASCs also have professional and highly qualified experts who perform the surgical procedures needed by patients. But oftentimes, the setting of the ASC is very attractive to the most skilled surgeons. Thus, procedures are done at the same, or greater, level of expertise and care compared to undergoing the same surgery at a hospital – only the costs are lower, and there is no need to worry about the risks associated with hospitalization.
Another important fact to note is that an ambulatory surgery center is able to provide patients with more focused care. Customer service is greatly enhanced since the attention of the medical staff at the facility is entirely focused on the patient who is being treated.
What procedures can be performed at an Ambulatory Surgery Center?
There is a relatively large number of fields that ambulatory surgery centers may specialize in. It should be noted that larger surgical procedures that require a person to remain hospitalized for an extended period of time are not performed by these centers.
Some popular types of surgical procedures that may be offered at an ambulatory surgery center include:
- Foot and ankle surgeries
- Hand surgeries
- Spine surgeries
- Vascular surgery
- Stem cell injections
- Neurosurgery
- Orthopedic surgery
- Laparoscopic surgery
- PRP injections
- Stem cell therapies
There are also numerous general surgical procedures that patients can undergo at these centers.
Conclusion
Ambulatory Surgery Centers play an important role in the health care system, offering a more affordable way for patients to undergo certain procedures that do not require an extended stay in the hospital. These centers offer a more relaxed environment and often at a greater level of care that a patient would receive at a large hospital.
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