As more spine procedures have been performed in outpatient settings, major stakeholders have recognized the benefits.
Minimally invasive techniques and technology have quickly advanced, making it possible for spine surgery to be done safely outside of a traditional hospital setting and decreasing the amount of time patients need to stay within the facility.
In 2020, the pandemic accelerated the preference of spine surgery in an ASC as patients wanted to avoid hospitals due to increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 and other healthcare acquired infections. A recent study1 by the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that in hospital settings, 8.95 out of 1000 patients developed a surgical site infection (SSI) 30 days post-surgery. In an outpatient setting, 4.84 out of 1000 patients developed a surgical site infection SSI 30 days post-surgery. Since they also stay at the ASC for a shorter duration of time than at a hospital, patients' risk for a healthcare acquired infection is also significantly lower.
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