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ready to place in my hand.
SFAs also close cases for me — I complete abdominal wall closures,
but they close superficial skin layers — which lets me turn my atten-
tion to completing paperwork and checking on the next case's patient.
I'm able to complete carotid atherectomies in about 30 minutes, open
abdominal aortic aneurysms in an hour, gallbladders in 10 to 15 min-
utes and hernia repairs in about 20 minutes. I run a very efficient OR,
thanks to the pace SFAs help me maintain.
Increased case volume
Surgeons who work with SFAs can increase their elective case
volume. We're very restrictive in many of the ways we're reimbursed, so
streamlining the repetitive aspects of surgery helps generate higher vol-
ume and increases revenue. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy:
Surgeons who produce more volume get more surgical time from facili-
ties — at one of my hospitals I've had 2 ORs running every Wednesday
for the past 6 years because I've filled the rooms consistently — letting
them further increase their volume of revenue-generating cases. It's a
win-win for surgeons and facility administrators.
Better pre-op prep
Because I work in several facilities, SFAs help prepare the ORs
and prep the surgical team about my specific needs and preferred
techniques before I arrive to operate. Working with SFAs also means I
don't have to acclimate staff to how I work, which can be a slow labo-
rious process every time I work in a new facility. Because SFAs under-
stand and communicate my needs, I can hit the ground running,
regardless of where I'm operating.
SFAs are also familiar with how to set up a back table for my partic-
ular aortogram procedures, which to be honest, I have little knowl-
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