Following comedienne Joan Rivers' death after an endoscopy procedure, outpatient surgery in the United States has undergone an unusual amount of scrutiny, with most major news outlets now focused to some degree on outpatient surgery and ASCs.
Ms. Rivers stopped breathing during an endoscopic procedure at New York City-based Yorkville Endoscopy. She was immediately transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, where she was in critical condition. After being taken off life support, Ms. Rivers passed away Sept. 4 at the age of 81. According to a report from TIME, the New York Department of Health is still investigating the incident, and an autopsy as to Ms. Rivers' cause of death was inconclusive.
While the situation is one that could happen at any center, especially considering the higher risk of complications for older patients or patients in poor physical condition, most major media outlets have run articles on Ms. Rivers' passing as well as the potential dangers of outpatient surgery, likely due to her several decades of fame.
Subjects of scrutiny have included the process of accreditation (TIME) and percentage of accredited facilities (WBUR), safety of outpatient procedures (Fox News), the trending move toward outpatient care (Bloomberg) and whether the complications Ms. Rivers experienced could have been prevented (Boston Globe). In addition, many local media outlets have picked up the story, questioning the state of outpatient surgery in their local markets.
Research has shown outpatient surgery outcomes are roughly equivalent to outcomes of inpatient surgery, and infection rates tend to be lower in outpatient settings.
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Ms. Rivers stopped breathing during an endoscopic procedure at New York City-based Yorkville Endoscopy. She was immediately transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, where she was in critical condition. After being taken off life support, Ms. Rivers passed away Sept. 4 at the age of 81. According to a report from TIME, the New York Department of Health is still investigating the incident, and an autopsy as to Ms. Rivers' cause of death was inconclusive.
While the situation is one that could happen at any center, especially considering the higher risk of complications for older patients or patients in poor physical condition, most major media outlets have run articles on Ms. Rivers' passing as well as the potential dangers of outpatient surgery, likely due to her several decades of fame.
Subjects of scrutiny have included the process of accreditation (TIME) and percentage of accredited facilities (WBUR), safety of outpatient procedures (Fox News), the trending move toward outpatient care (Bloomberg) and whether the complications Ms. Rivers experienced could have been prevented (Boston Globe). In addition, many local media outlets have picked up the story, questioning the state of outpatient surgery in their local markets.
Research has shown outpatient surgery outcomes are roughly equivalent to outcomes of inpatient surgery, and infection rates tend to be lower in outpatient settings.
More articles on turnarounds:
10 concerns facing ASCs heading into 2015
AmSurg to acquire 6 ASCs, HCA stock up .8% and more — 5 recent ASC company key notes
7 healthcare controversies to watch for Midterms 2014