Increase in Same-day Surgical Procedures

According to data from the most recent National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery (NSAS), the number of same-day surgeries performed in the U.S. tripled in one decade, from 1996 to 2006. Researchers collected data from 142 hospitals and 295 freestanding centers, revealing that during this ten year period, the number of same-day surgeries went from 20.8 million to 34.7 million. However, the data did reveal that this increase was mainly due to a jump in the number of these procedures being performed in freestanding centers, with the rate of same-day procedures in hospitals remaining similar to that of 1996. The survey also found that these same-day surgeries make up more than 60 percent of all elective surgery procedures, which is expected to increase in the next few years.

Same-day surgery, which is also referred to as ambulatory or outpatient surgery, does not require a patient to stay overnight in a hospital or surgery center for their procedure. The ability for patients to go home after a surgical procedure has caused many patients to opt for same-day surgery. In addition, the reduced cost and faster recovery has made this type of surgery more and more common over the years. In fact, there were an estimated 34.7 outpatient visits to hospitals and freestanding centers in 2006, with the average time spent in the operating room at about 62 minutes at hospitals and 43 minutes at surgical centers. The survey also reported that about 20 million ambulatory surgeries are performed on women each year while about 14.7 million are performed on men. The most common same-day surgical procedures included endoscopies of the large and small intestines and cataract surgery lens extraction. There are various risks associated with different surgical procedures, so it is important to find a doctor you can trust before going to a hospital or surgical center for an elective procedure. If a mistake does occur during an outpatient surgical procedure or some other type of surgery, negligence or malpractice may be to blame. If you or a loved one was injured by surgical malpractice in New York City or Long Island, please call or e-mail us today for a free consultation with our experienced surgery malpractice attorneys in New York, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk.

Call us toll-free 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net