Fayetteville, N.C.-based Cape Fear Eye Associates has completed renovations that will equip the location to begin offering office-based surgeries, according to an Oct. 26 report from the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal.
The clinic performed its first office-based procedure on Sept. 20, making it the fourth office-based surgery center to open in the state.
While office-based surgery offers advantages for patients, it may also take business away from ASCs in the area that would typically perform the types of procedures patients can now seek out in a different setting.
"The office-based surgery suite that we just opened, the one huge benefit of that is that it does not require IV sedation, so everything is sublingual, meaning that they don't have to get a shot or any IV to be sedated for a cataract procedure or other minor types of surgical procedures that they typically have to do in an ASC," Leo Swift, chief operating officer at Cape Fear Eye, told the Journal.
Some management organizations, including the quickly growing IOR Partners, even specialize in helping ophthalmology practices open suites over ASCs.
"These [suites] meet all the criteria that's necessary for safety and quality, but since it is only focused on ophthalmology, it doesn't come with the price tag of a traditional ambulatory surgical center," James Williams, CEO of IOR, told the Kansas City Business Journal. "Traditional ambulatory surgery centers can cost $3 million to $4 million. We can do this for $250,000."
In-office surgical suites can accommodate patients for common operations including cataract and glaucoma surgeries and corneal procedures.
Cape Fear's new office-based surgical suite is equipped with a pre-op area, two surgical suites, a post-op space, a new conference room, a new space for the billing department, new physician offices and upgraded exam rooms, new equipment and an updated, modern lobby.
The practice also plans to bring on more surgeons next year, according to the report.