Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/223845
ORX Proceedings 2013_Layout 1 12/6/13 11:22 AM Page 34 cussed the medical and marketing advantages of investing $1.5 million to $2.2 million in a da Vinci Surgical System, including turning complex surgeries (hysterectomies, for example) into minimally invasive ones without the weeks of recovery and the significant scarring. "A surgical robot will make your facility an attractive destination for surgeons and patients alike," she says. • Femtosecond laser. How much of your annual revenue, asks James Dawes, MHA, CMPE, COE, comes from elective (non-covered) services? The trick to getting patients to pay out-of-pocket above what Medicare reimburses is to invest in top-of-the-line technology. A prime example: femtosecond laser surgery, a laser platform that lets surgeons make accurate and repeatable capsulorhexis without taking a blade to the patient's eye. "Patients who want to pay a little extra to have better outcomes and better lifestyles are able to do so," says Mr. Dawes, the chief administrative officer of the Center For Sight in Sarasota, Fla. "This is the way the free market should work." The Center for Sight has been performing laser cataract surgery for about a year now, with nearly 70% of patients opting for upgraded refractive packages that include the laser. "Lasers help produce better visual outcomes for patients who want to reduce their dependency on glasses," he says. "Patients know they're the latest advancement, so they seek them out." • Spine surgery. Yes, outpatient spine surgery volume is on the rise, making it a popular specialty to add, but you must consider several factors before adding these complex procedures to your case mix, says Karen Reiter, RN, CNOR, RNFA, chief operating officer of the DISC Sports & Spine Center in Newport Beach, Calif. What is an appropriate case mix for spinal surgery in an outpatient environment? Ms. Reiter told her audience to "start simple and expand the complexity of your offerings as your experience grows." Lumbar microdiscectomies or decompressions are a good jumping-off point, followed by anterior cervical discectomies with fusion or artificial disc replacement. Posterior cervical spine surgeries — decompressions, fusions and lamino- 3 4 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | D E C E M B E R 2013