Surgeons at Boston Out-Patient Surgical Suites in Waltham, Mass., performed the first outpatient total joint replacement at a freestanding ASC in the state.
Here are five things to know:
1. The patient received a total knee replacement at Boston Out-Patient Surgical Suites and returned home later that day. The patient continued to receive home healthcare and physical therapy support after returning home.
2. Performing outpatient total joint replacements at ASCs on the appropriate patient can realize a significant cost savings because ASCs are the lower cost site of service and the patient doesn't need to pay for long hospital stays.
"Our charges are significantly lower than those of a hospital, which translates for most patients to a significantly lower co-payment and overall cost of care," said Gregory DeConciliis, PA, administrator of BOSS and president of the Massachusetts Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers.
3. Centers around the country have begun offering outpatient total joint replacements to otherwise healthy patients equipped to undergo minimally invasive procedures in the outpatient setting. These patients often ambulate shortly after surgery and can be discharged home.
4. Data on outpatient joint replacements show lower infection rates and higher patient satisfaction in ASCs than larger procedures in hospitals.
5. BOSS is an AmSurg facility focused on orthopedics.