You’ve been recommended for surgery, so what happens next? The next step is deciding where you want to have your surgery performed. Many factors go into this decision, but if you had the choice, would you rather stay overnight in the comfort of your home or in a hospital full of disease and illness? Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) offer a solution to this difficult decision. Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are modern health care facilities focused on providing same-day surgical care. ASCs have evolved the outpatient capability of surgical care and improved the surgical experience with a more convenient alternative for patients compared to traditional hospital-based procedures.
At Prairie Spine and Pain Institute, we specialize in orthopedic spine surgery. For spine surgery to be utilized in a progressive location such as an ASC, the surgery has to evolve as well. Spine surgery has made monumental progression from traditional open-procedures to the minimally-invasive surgeries offered to us today. Patients receiving fusion operations, discectomies, disc replacements, etc. are now going home the same day as their surgery. There is no need for overnight stay in a hospital based system. These previous several-day inpatient surgeries are now outpatient driven.
There are also several other advantages to have your surgery performed in an ASC, one being minimal waiting time to get into the operating room. At many hospitals, it’s often very tough to get OR time. One of the largest advantages to receiving a surgery in an ASC is the cost. An ASC procedure can cost sometimes half to a third less than having a surgery performed in a hospital. ASCs are also more efficient at streamlining the procedure set up and tear down. This means treating more patients in less time. Also, ASCs put the control back in the surgeon’s hands. Doctors can help set standards for staffing, safety precautions, postoperative care, protocols, etc., compared to a hospital manager making these decisions for them.
For several years now, our patients have been going home the same day as their surgery and they love that their spine surgery was an outpatient procedure. ASCs have made this possible as well as the progression that innovative spine surgery has seen. Dr. Kube and the surgical team continue to push the envelope and offer the best treatment package for our patients. We often look at our patients as customers, so we try to make sure they get the best product available on all fronts. This is what defines Prairie Spine and Pain Institute. If you have neck or back pain, come see us at Prairie Spine and Pain Institute!
About The Author: Derek N. Morrow, PA-C is a physician assistant with Prairie Spine and Pain Institute. Derek works in the clinic setting as a health care provider seeing patients. He is also utilized in the operating room as a first assist in surgery. In the clinic setting, his key function is to diagnose new patients and conduct their initial treatment. He works directly with patients to establish customized treatment programs and to monitor their progress. He also conducts history and physical evaluations for many patients. He performs many office procedures including trigger point injections, large joint injections, and bursa injections, all with the help of ultrasound guidance. He is radiologically trained, and uses his knowledge of X-ray, Ultrasound, MRI, CT, and EMG-Nerve Conduction Studies to establish a diagnosis and determine the appropriate treatment. Derek is surgically trained and plays a vital role in the procedures we perform at Prairie Spine and Pain Institute.
