The number of outpatient procedures performed in the U.S. is increasing at a steady rate—it’s actually tripled in the past 30 years to more than 54 million a year. That’s nearly the same number of procedures that require hospital stays.
What are the Advantages of Surgery Centers over Hospitals?
There are a few advantages to outpatient procedures, such as:
Outpatient surgery has some distinct advantages for patients seeking routine procedures; however, some studies show that these facilities also have unique safety risks.
What are Common Outpatient Surgeries?
With improved technology and advances in anesthesia and pain control, several types of less invasive surgical procedures are now being performed on an outpatient or ambulatory basis. Some of the most common procedures are:
Are Surgery Centers as Safe as Hospitals?
The vast majority of surgery center procedures are completed without any issues, and the physicians are well-trained and have access to the right equipment. However, surgery centers do not legally have the same staffing and emergency equipment requirements as hospitals. This may result in greater patient risk in life-threatening situations. And while surgery centers don’t have the same equipment and training requirements as hospitals, they still must adhere to strict patient safety guidelines.
Also, in thousands of such cases, the Kaiser Health News found that surgery center staff were required to call 911 for emergency hospital transfers. This move could be a 15-mile journey or longer in rural areas and up to 30 minutes or more in a larger city, like Grand Rapids. Such delays can be deadly.
Given the fast pace and “in-and-out” environment of outpatient surgery centers, there may be concerns that patients are sent home too early without proper observation. Kaiser Health News has reported a number of cases where patients were found unresponsive when they got home—but these situations are quite rare.
Patients receiving surgery at a surgery center should be cleared in advance by their doctors to ensure a low risk of complication for their scheduled procedure.
These cautions don’t mean that surgery centers are inherently less safe than hospitals. To the contrary, there are several studies that have shown that these facilities are just as safe for patients as hospitals and other inpatient facilities. Surgery center may even have a lower risk of facility-acquired infection than hospitals.
Is Outpatient Surgery Safe for Seniors?
While a patient’s age, by itself, isn’t a reason to disqualify an elderly patient from having outpatient surgery, age does impact the reaction of elderly patients to certain anesthetic medicines. For example, short-acting medicines can take longer to be metabolized by the elderly.
In addition, seniors may suffer from an underlying medical condition that could make an outpatient surgery more of a risk. That’s why it’s critical for elderly patients to undergo a thorough medical evaluation before any surgery to determine the best surgical setting for that person.
How Do I Have a Safe Outpatient Procedure?
Despite the fact you can return home the same day of an outpatient procedure, many of these are still major surgeries. For the best outcome, make sure to take these steps:
Speak With an Experienced Michigan Medical Malpractice Attorney
You need an experienced medical malpractice attorney to have the best chance of a successful outcome in a medical malpractice case if there is a mistake made in your surgery center procedure.
Our firm proudly serves people all across Michigan, including major cities like Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Detroit, Lansing, Holland, St. Joe, and Ann Arbor, and rural towns such as Lowell, Ada, Fremont, Newaygo, Grand Haven, Rockford, and Cedar Springs. We will meet you after hours, at home, or in the hospital to accommodate you.