Patients Praise Personalized Care at The Center for Ambulatory Surgery

PATIENTS CHOOSE THE CENTER FOR THE QUALITY OF CARE AND THE CONVENIENCE. MANY COME BACK FOR MULTIPLE PROCEDURES.

By Kim Ann Zimmermann

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Containing costs
As health care costs continue to rise, ambulatory surgery centers are becoming a financially attractive alternative to traditional hospitals for some procedures. According to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, payments to ambulatory surgery centers are lower than payments to hospitals for comparable services for 87 percent of
procedures.

At TCFAS, most insurance carriers are accepted. “We’re finding that insurance companies are increasingly accepting of ambulatory surgery centers,” says Patricia Wise, the center’s credentialing coordinator.

The facility is New Jersey state approved, licensed and certified and Medicare approved and endorsed. According to Spencer, TCFAS is seeking accreditation from the American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers.

According to industry experts, the co-payment for Medicare beneficiaries is about 20 percent of the cost of the procedure at an ASC compared to 40 percent out of the patient’s pocket at a hospital. And, generally speaking, the costs of procedures at hospitals are higher which means the patient pays more. So, an ASC is less costly for an individual patient, but it’s also less costly for the government. A recent study found that Medicare pays on average $320 less per surgery when the procedure is
performed in an ASC rather than a hospital outpatient department.

Mark McClellan, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has said “ASCs play a very important role in creating a modern, innovative health care system by providing care at a lower cost with better patient satisfaction. With the challenge of rising health care costs, it is clear to me that innovation and creativity
in ASCs can make a big difference in the quality and cost of health care.”

What is ambulatory anesthesia?
Ambulatory anesthesia is tailored to meet the needs of ambulatory surgery so you can go home soon after your operation, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Short-acting anesthetic drugs and specialized anesthetic techniques as well as care specifically focused on the needs of the ambulatory patient are used to make your experience safe and pleasant. The following are some typical questions that ambulatory surgery center patients have about the their experience.

What types of anesthesia are available?
There are several types of anesthetic techniques available for your surgery ranging from local anesthesia to general anesthesia. As an outpatient, some techniques may allow you to recover more quickly with fewer side effects. There are four anesthetic options:

• General anesthesia - This anesthetic choice produces unconsciousness so that you will not feel, see or hear anything during the surgical procedure. The anesthetic medications are given to you through an intravenous line or through an anesthesia mask.

• Regional anesthesia - This technique produces numbness with the injection of local anesthesia around nerves in a region of the body corresponding to the surgical procedure.

• Monitored anesthesia care - With this approach, you usually receive pain medication and sedatives through your intravenous line from your anesthesiologist. The surgeon or anesthesiologist also will inject local anesthesia into the skin, which will provide additional pain control during and after the procedure.

• Local anesthesia - The surgeon will inject local anesthetic to provide numbness at the surgical site. In this case, there may be no anesthesia team member with you.

What happens during my surgery?
Your anesthesiologist is personally responsible for your comfort and well-being. Your anesthesiologist leads the anesthesia care team to monitor as well as manage your vital body functions during your surgery. Your anesthesiologist is also responsible for managing medical problems that might arise related to surgery as well as any chronic medical conditions you may have, such as asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure or heart problems. A member of your anesthesia team will be with you
throughout your procedure.

What can I expect after the operation until I go home?
After surgery, you will be taken to the post-anesthesia care unit, often called the recovery room. Your anesthesiologist will direct the monitoring and medications
needed for your safe recovery. For about the first 30 minutes, you will be watched closely by specially trained nurses. During this period, you may be given extra oxygen, and your breathing and heart functions will be observed closely.

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