Plastic surgeons often have the option to perform surgery at an ambulatory surgery center or in a hospital setting. While either
facility is considered safe, there may be notable differences in the efficiency of each setting. According to a new study published in the American Journal of Surgery, the total facility time and the time intervals before and after surgery were longer in the hospital setting.
Authors of the study had the opportunity to compare both surgical facilities as their breast operations were moved from an ambulatory surgery center to a hospital. The records of 92 hospital patients and 92 ASC patients were retrospectively analyzed to compare time intervals and other information.
Time intervals for surgical care were measured and reviewed by the authors and they found that on average, total facility time was 69 minutes shorter in the ambulatory surgery center. Most significant was the 55-minute difference in the preoperative time period – “the time from the entrance into the holding area to entrance into the operating room.”
Based on the findings, they argue that outpatient surgery is more efficient when performed at a dedicated outpatient center. Also, if the time saving practices used at the surgery center are incorporated at the hospital, it could increase efficiency in that setting.