One of the best ways to combat our nation's healthcare issues is to ensure patients are receiving high quality care in the lowest cost setting. Through improvements in technology and anesthesia techniques, the number of procedures that can be safely performed in an ambulatory surgery center continues to expand. A group of otolaryngologists, who utilize ASCs that are partnered with Surgical Care Affiliates, presented compelling clinical data on pediatric ENT procedures in ASCs at SCA's recent Physician Leadership Meeting.
Among the presenting physicians were: Richard Areen, MD, Otolaryngologist at Sutter River City Surgery Center in Sacramento, California; John Henley, MD, Otolaryngologist, Medical Director at Fayetteville Surgery Center in Fayetteville, North Carolina; Bruce Scott, MD, Otolaryngologist, Medical Director at SurgeCenter of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky; and Karen Paddock, MD, Pediatric Anesthesiologist at Sutter River City Surgery Center in Sacramento, California.
"Hospital administrations have recently raised dialogue to imply that pediatric procedures require the participation of a fellowship trained pediatric anesthesiologist to ensure the safety of the patient and success of the procedure, especially with regard to ENT procedures," said Dr. Paddock. "However, the data gathered by SCA suggests that this is not the case."
With a network of 145 surgical facilities across the country, SCA was able to compile data from 38,000 pediatric cases performed in 89 ASCs in 2011. Of these pediatric cases, 21,333 (or 56 percent) fell into the pediatric ENT category. Furthermore, nearly 85 percent of these ENT cases can be broken down into one of four ENT categories: tonsils & adenoids (29 percent), tonsils only (2 percent), adenoids (13 percent) and tympanostomy tubes (40 percent).
"The data showed SCA's success rate with our ENT procedures to be extremely high,” said Dr. Scott. "Of the 21,333 pediatric ENT cases performed at SCA’s centers, only 0.06 percent (or 14 patients) had to be transferred post-operatively to a hospital. In short, ASCs are more than capable of safely performing ENT procedures on the vast majority of pediatric patients regardless of the presence of a pediatric anesthesiologist.”
"In my experience, the vast majority of pediatric ENT cases do not utilize a fellowship trained pediatric anesthesiologist," said Dr. Paddock. "In fact, there is currently no subspecialty board certification for pediatric anesthesia." (The American Board of Anesthesiology will begin offering such certification in 2013.) "Historically, one’s expertise in pediatric anesthesia has been determined by experience, whether in fellowship, additional training or otherwise," she said.
SCA credits its overwhelming success in the above cases to proper patient selection and appropriate policies with regard to pediatric patients and what procedures may be considered safe depending on their age and specific condition.
"As a participant in this study as well as the Physician Leadership Meeting, it's clear to me that as long as ASCs exercise due diligence with regard to their pediatric patients, we will continue to enjoy our extremely high success rate," said Dr. Ryan Boone, MD, in Baton Rouge, La. "Clearly, ASCs offer a variety of benefits to both physicians and patients, and remain a safe and valid choice for a wide variety of pediatric procedures."
Surgical Care Affiliates, headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., operates 145 surgical facilities, including surgery centers, surgical hospitals, and hospital surgery departments in 32 states. They employ approximately 5,000 teammates and more than 6,000 physicians perform procedures in SCA facilities each year.
SCA’s centers and surgical hospitals focus on short-term care and primarily provide non-emergency surgical and other procedures in several specialties, including orthopedics, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, pain management, otolaryngology, urology, gynecology, neurosurgery, spine surgery and others. They also provide facilities with logistics and support staff necessary for physicians to perform these procedures.
Clinical quality is a primary focus for the company. All SCA facilities pursue accreditation through the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers or the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.
Learn more about Surgical Care Affiliates.
Related Articles on ENT:
Otolaryngologist Dr. RJ Legreid Joins WI's BayCare Clinic Ear Nose & Throat
North Carolina Physicians Open Piedmont Outpatient Surgery Center
Carolina ENT Head and Neck Surgery Center Now Offers Baha 3 Hearing Treatment
Among the presenting physicians were: Richard Areen, MD, Otolaryngologist at Sutter River City Surgery Center in Sacramento, California; John Henley, MD, Otolaryngologist, Medical Director at Fayetteville Surgery Center in Fayetteville, North Carolina; Bruce Scott, MD, Otolaryngologist, Medical Director at SurgeCenter of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky; and Karen Paddock, MD, Pediatric Anesthesiologist at Sutter River City Surgery Center in Sacramento, California.
"Hospital administrations have recently raised dialogue to imply that pediatric procedures require the participation of a fellowship trained pediatric anesthesiologist to ensure the safety of the patient and success of the procedure, especially with regard to ENT procedures," said Dr. Paddock. "However, the data gathered by SCA suggests that this is not the case."
With a network of 145 surgical facilities across the country, SCA was able to compile data from 38,000 pediatric cases performed in 89 ASCs in 2011. Of these pediatric cases, 21,333 (or 56 percent) fell into the pediatric ENT category. Furthermore, nearly 85 percent of these ENT cases can be broken down into one of four ENT categories: tonsils & adenoids (29 percent), tonsils only (2 percent), adenoids (13 percent) and tympanostomy tubes (40 percent).
"The data showed SCA's success rate with our ENT procedures to be extremely high,” said Dr. Scott. "Of the 21,333 pediatric ENT cases performed at SCA’s centers, only 0.06 percent (or 14 patients) had to be transferred post-operatively to a hospital. In short, ASCs are more than capable of safely performing ENT procedures on the vast majority of pediatric patients regardless of the presence of a pediatric anesthesiologist.”
"In my experience, the vast majority of pediatric ENT cases do not utilize a fellowship trained pediatric anesthesiologist," said Dr. Paddock. "In fact, there is currently no subspecialty board certification for pediatric anesthesia." (The American Board of Anesthesiology will begin offering such certification in 2013.) "Historically, one’s expertise in pediatric anesthesia has been determined by experience, whether in fellowship, additional training or otherwise," she said.
SCA credits its overwhelming success in the above cases to proper patient selection and appropriate policies with regard to pediatric patients and what procedures may be considered safe depending on their age and specific condition.
"As a participant in this study as well as the Physician Leadership Meeting, it's clear to me that as long as ASCs exercise due diligence with regard to their pediatric patients, we will continue to enjoy our extremely high success rate," said Dr. Ryan Boone, MD, in Baton Rouge, La. "Clearly, ASCs offer a variety of benefits to both physicians and patients, and remain a safe and valid choice for a wide variety of pediatric procedures."
Surgical Care Affiliates, headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., operates 145 surgical facilities, including surgery centers, surgical hospitals, and hospital surgery departments in 32 states. They employ approximately 5,000 teammates and more than 6,000 physicians perform procedures in SCA facilities each year.
SCA’s centers and surgical hospitals focus on short-term care and primarily provide non-emergency surgical and other procedures in several specialties, including orthopedics, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, pain management, otolaryngology, urology, gynecology, neurosurgery, spine surgery and others. They also provide facilities with logistics and support staff necessary for physicians to perform these procedures.
Clinical quality is a primary focus for the company. All SCA facilities pursue accreditation through the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers or the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.
Learn more about Surgical Care Affiliates.
Related Articles on ENT:
Otolaryngologist Dr. RJ Legreid Joins WI's BayCare Clinic Ear Nose & Throat
North Carolina Physicians Open Piedmont Outpatient Surgery Center
Carolina ENT Head and Neck Surgery Center Now Offers Baha 3 Hearing Treatment