Orthopedic Surgery Center of Orange County

You can count on our health care expertise to bring you the best possible care.

At our orthopedic surgery center of Orange County, you can rely on quality health care from top professionals in the southern California area. To learn more about our services and how you can benefit from our outpatient center, or to schedule your consultation, contact our office today.

• We provide thorough evaluation and diagnosis
• Your treatment plan is tailored to you

The Benefits of Orthopedic Surgery Centers

The practice of modern medicine has changed dramatically over the last few decades. One major change that has occurred is the shift of many different types of surgeries from a traditional hospital setting to an outpatient surgery center. These centers, also known as ambulatory surgical centers, provide surgery and procedures to patients on an outpatient basis. This means it is expected that they will be able to return home from their procedure or surgery on the same day and will not need an extended period of care. This approach provides many benefits to patients who do not need emergency or high risk procedures.

Current Outpatient Surgery Stats

The first outpatient surgery center opened in 1970. Dr. Wallace Reed and Dr. John Ford opened its doors with the goal of providing Phoenix residents access to convenient and cost-effective surgical options. The United States is home to over 5,400 ambulatory surgical centers. It is estimated that physicians now perform over 23 million procedures and surgeries within these stand-alone centers, and this is expected to grow.

The Multiple Benefits of Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Patients, doctors, nurses, other medical staff, and even health insurance companies have all benefited from the explosion of surgical centers across the nation. It is the numerous benefits and advanced technologies that have caused the demand for outpatient surgical facilities to increase. Here are some of the benefits of these centers:

• Convenience: For patients who need orthopedic surgery, outpatient surgical centers offer convenient locations, decreased wait times, and easy scheduling. Doctors often also find that they can better control their surgery staffing and scheduling at an outpatient facility as opposed to a traditional hospital operating room. It is also less likely that the need to accommodate emergency surgical patients will arise at these locations, which helps scheduling to run smoother. With a more focused scope of surgeries, doctors and staff can complete procedures more conveniently with fewer errors and complications.
• Higher Satisfaction: Both providers and patients tend to rate their satisfaction higher at surgical centers compared with hospital operating rooms, and the same is true with our orthopedic surgery center of Orange County. This is because scheduling tends to run on time and the centers have on-site and often free parking. Patients also report that the staff has more time to spend with them which makes them feel well taken care of and educated on what to expect pre- and post-surgery. Physicians are pleased with the control they have over scheduling and being able to work towards quality improvement in patient care.

• The Ability to Specialize: Especially for orthopedic surgeries, ambulatory center operating rooms have a greater ability to specialize in specific types of surgeries. There are several orthopedic procedures that are extremely technical and require special equipment and supplies. Often the same staff members will work together and know the routine for how special machinery and supplies need to be set up. This makes the entire surgery process more reliable and efficient for patients, physicians, nurses, and other support staff.
• Cost-Effectiveness and Value: Compared to traditional hospital settings where procedures and surgeries can take place, outpatient surgery centers generally have lower overall healthcare costs. In fact, a study conducted by the Government Accountability Office found that when compared with outpatient hospital surgeries, ambulatory surgery center patients paid 84 percent of the total bill for the same surgery or procedure. It is also expected that the outcomes, quality, and value of surgical centers will increase with time.
• Improved Patient Safety: In general, outpatient surgery centers treat lower acuity patients than compared with hospital surgical suites. This is due to the fact that in order to have an outpatient procedure or surgery, a patient must meet certain medical standards and be relatively healthy. This increases the chances of a successful surgery without complications from anesthesia or other problems. It also decreases that chances that physicians at surgical centers will push the envelope and try to perform surgeries on patients that are not healthy enough for surgery. In addition, ambulatory surgery centers are focused on simplicity and repetition, which breed confidence and decrease the chances of accidents or errors.

Types of Possible Outpatient Orthopedic Surgical Procedures

Talk with your orthopedic physician to find out if you might be a candidate for surgery and an outpatient surgery center. Common orthopedic procedures performed at an ambulatory surgery center include:

• Arthroscopic knee surgery w/meniscectomy
• Shoulder scope
• Bone shaving
• Arthroscopic knee debridement and shaving
• Carpal tunnel release
• Arthroscopic knee w/meniscectomy
• Arthroscopy shoulder rotator cuff repair
• Hammertoe correction
• Arthroscopy shoulder surgical debridement
• Tendon sheath incision
• Arthroscopy shoulder distal capsulectomy
• Removal of support implant
• Repair or fixation of some broken bones
• Debridement of skin/muscle/bone/fracture
• Incise finger tendon sheath