An increasing number of surgical procedures can be safely completed at outpatient surgical centers. When compared to inpatient operations that hospitals offer, these outpatient surgical centers have five distinct advantages. If you have the option of getting a surgery done as an inpatient or outpatient procedure, these advantages will make the outpatient option the obvious choice in most cases.

1. Savings: Outpatient Centers Are Less Expensive

First, you’ll likely save money by going to an outpatient surgical center rather than a hospital. These centers are usually smaller businesses, so they have less overhead and cost less to run. You also won’t have to spend the night (or multiple nights) at the center, which further reduces the cost of the surgery.

While exact costs vary, you can expect an outpatient surgical center to be 45 to 60 percent less expensive than an inpatient hospital. Even if you have good health insurance, this level of savings can still make a difference in what you spend out-of-pocket.

2. Safety: Outpatient Centers Get Fewer Infections

Second, outpatient surgical centers have been found safer to operate in than hospitals. While both facilities have the necessary support to address complications that could arise during procedures, immediate complications aren’t the only potential risk of surgery.

Anytime someone is cut open for surgery, there is a potential risk for infection. This risk is minimized through sanitizing procedures, but it can’t be fully eliminated.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, however, outpatient surgical centers are better at minimizing this risk than inpatient hospitals. According to a 2010 CDC estimate, about 8.95 in 1,000 patients develop a surgical site infection in hospitals. At ambulatory surgical centers (outpatient centers), the estimated rate was a much lower 4.84 in 1,000 patients. That’s a 45.9 percent reduction in infections contracted onsite.

3. Convenience: Outpatient Centers Make Surgery Accessible

Third, outpatient surgical centers have a clear upper hand in terms of convenience. Not only is it more convenient to go home on the same day as a surgical procedure, but these centers tend to be smaller than hospitals. They’re easier to drive to, find parking at and navigate through when you need to come in for an appointment.

4. Time: Outpatient Centers Reduce the Time on Site

Fourth, you’ll spend less time at an outpatient surgical center than you would at an inpatient hospital. According to a report by economists Elizabeth Munrich and Stephan Parente, patients who go to outpatient centers spend nearly 26 percent less time at the center than those who go to hospitals for the same procedure. That’s less time out of your day, and it’s less time in the medical setting.

5. Schedule: Outpatient Centers Are More Predictable

Finally, outpatient surgical centers have more predictable schedules than massive inpatient hospitals. Because outpatient centers are simpler facilities, it’s easier to keep the appointments and procedures running on-time at them. This means you’re less likely to be stuck in a waiting room for a pre-procedure appointment, post-procedure appointment or the surgical procedure itself.

Outpatient Orthopedic Surgery at Prime

If you need an orthopedic procedure completed, contact Prime Surgical Suites. Offering a variety ofoutpatient surgery solutions, Prime is the safe, convenient and predictable place to have your surgical procedure completed.

AtPrime Surgical Suites, we provide state-of-the-art, cost-effective musculoskeletal surgical care in a convenient and comfortable outpatient setting for patients of all ages. Located in RiverCrest Medical Park, we are the region's first outpatient center focused exclusively on orthopedics. Our physician-led center will help restore your active lifestyle and well-being with compassion and orthopedic excellence.