Is it safe to have surgery at private doctor offices?
Educated decision-making is required when considering plastic surgery. A question that comes to mind for many prospective surgical patients is, “Is it safe to have surgery at my doctor’s office versus a hospital?” The answer to this question is “yes” if proper standards and procedures are in place. In fact, it is the mission of the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Inc. (AAAASF) to develop and implement standards of excellence to ensure the highest quality of patient care. The Association has developed an accreditation program that serves both the medical community and the public interest by establishing a means for measuring medical competence and providing an external source for evaluating patient safety in the ambulatory surgery setting.
From a patient’s perspective, having surgery performed at a doctor’s office may have some other advantages. Certainly there is a factor of cost that comes into play since plastic-cosmetic surgery is not covered by insurance – it would therefore be less expensive having surgery at a private facility. In addition, the privacy and the one-on-one attention, or many patients referring to “personal touch” received cannot be undermined. There is just something reassuring when a patient enters the Operating Room or the Exam Room on surgery day and they have already recognized the staff. This in turn reduces surgical anxieties and the patient feels more at ease. When the patient returns for follow up examinations, it is this same staff that the patient will see again. In the hospital setting, patients are increasingly seen by an array of providers, thus raising concerns about fragmented care. The coordination of care and the seamless care in a private setting is therefore substantially at a greater degree.
Furthermore, another aspect that is very important to consider is that Health Care Facilities such as Hospitals, can be a dangerous place for the acquisition of infections. These hospital acquired infections (otherwise known as nosocomial infections) are often caused by breaches of infection control practices and procedures, unclean and non-sterile environmental surfaces, non-sterile instrumentation handling, ill employees and poor hand washing techniques. These infections are transmitted through direct contact from the hospital staff, inadequately sterilized instruments, aerosol droplets from other ill patients or even the food or water provided at hospitals. In addition, it is understood that the hospital houses patients who are sick, terminally ill and even immunosuppressed. The eligible candidate for plastic-cosmetic surgery at the private surgical setting is a healthy patient.
The Aesthetic Surgery Center is fully accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Inc. The center is committed to providing the highest level of quality care and concern for the individual, while maintaining absolute integrity and confidentiality in every aspect of its interaction with patients. The center has been expertly designed by medical professionals to enhance the patient experience. It features private consultation rooms, state of the art operating and recovery rooms with the highest levels of technology and a highly qualified staffed facility.
If you are considering having surgery in a private doctor’s office, check with your state health department to see if your doctor’s office is in compliance. You should also ask your doctor if her/his office is accredited by a national accrediting body and if they have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.