Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Would You Operate On This Patient? - October 2015 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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Patients must have few or no co-mor- bidities and be moti- vated before under- going any type of outpatient spinal sur- gery. A 90-year-old who is on blood thinners is a poor choice, but a 38-year- old healthy woman who has attended all of her previous phys- ical therapy sessions is likely to succeed. Additionally, while a sur- geon may think the patient is an ideal candidate for outpatient spinal surgery, the decision should ultimately come down to whether the patient feels it is right. You also need to ensure that you have the right surgeons performing these procedures at your facility. Before clearing surgeons for outpa- tient spine, make sure they can prove that they have a clear history with discharging their cases within 23 hours. Be aware that not all spine cases are created equal. Just because a surgeon routinely discharges laminectomy patients the same day doesn't mean you should clear him for more complex procedures like lumbar spinal fusions. Also note that most surgeon fellowship training programs don't offer an "outpatient" program, so younger surgeons will likely have a steeper learning curve than veteran doctors. Finally, the individual surgeon's technique also plays a role in avoiding complications. For example, in lumbar spinal fusions — the next big thing in outpatient spine — there are several tech- 1 4 8 O U T P A T 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 | O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 z SAFER SPINE SSIs, dural tears and bleeding are some of the common complications of complex spine cases.

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