The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery published an article examining clinical results on outcomes for hand and upper extremity surgery at freestanding ambulatory surgery centers.
There were 28,737 cases included in the study with adverse events defined as complications causing harm to the patients or leading to additional treatment. The researchers found:
1. There were 58 adverse events, for an overall adverse event rate at 0.2 percent.
2. There weren't any deaths in the study.
3. There were 14 patients who reported infections as well as 18 postoperative transfers to the hospital. The study authors found 21 hospital admissions after discharge.
4. Among the patients studied, there was one medical error, four postoperative hematomas and no cases of wrong-site surgery or retained foreign bodies.
5. The study authors concluded hand and upper-extremity surgery can be safely performed in freestanding outpatient surgery centers.