Vancouver (Wash.) Clinic performed its first knee replacement surgery in its ASC, clarkcountytoday.com reported Jan. 16.
The patient returned home the same day and is recovering comfortably.
The hospital previously performed all joint replacements. Now it has moved lower-acuity procedures into its ASC.
Casey Cornelius, DO, performed the first procedure in the ASC. He said: "I think this is the direction that joint replacement is going. A high percentage of patients are young and active and need this. There is a huge demand for it."
The ASC also has a Mako surgical robot. The robot combines presurgical imaging with intraprocedural guidance to ensure implants are placed precisely.