All orthopedic surgeries, including even the routine ones, are multifaceted medical procedures that require careful consideration at every stage of the process. This includes at the outset, when patients are first deciding who will perform the surgery. If you have a medical condition that requires orthopedic surgery, here’s how to choose a surgical center that will serve you well.
First, you’ll want to select a skilled surgeon who has extensive experience. The surgeon should be board-certified or board-eligible, and they ought to have performed the exact procedure you need multiple times. They also should be able to thoroughly explain the nuances of the procedure, including why it’s preferable to potential alternate treatments.
At some surgical groups, there’s only one surgeon so you’ll meet with them. Other groups have multiple surgeons who work at the practice, and you’ll meet with the person who’s actually going to perform your procedure.
Second, find a high-quality hospital or outpatient surgical center in your area. While every institution would like to claim they’re the best, some places simply offer a higher quality of care than others.
Medicare.gov makes it easy to find a high-quality hospital with the site’s Hospital Compare ratings system. The system uses multiple objective data points to rate hospitals on a five-star system, with more stars correlating to a better quality of care. The system lists over 4,000 hospitals which are located throughout the country, so there’s undoubtedly some near you.
When choosing a facility, you might have to restrict your selection to in-patient hospitals or out-patient centers because of the procedure you’re undergoing. The surgeon you consult with can help determine which kind of facility is better suited for your situation, and you can still check the quality of possible options.
Outpatient surgery centers get patients home on the same day of their surgery. Going home the same day and not staying overnight in the hospital will help with your recovery time.
Third, make sure your chosen surgeon has privileges to practice at the facility you’d prefer. Surgeons can only perform procedures where they have privileges, and not everyone maintains privileges at all the hospitals and outpatient centers in their area.
In the unlikely event that your chosen surgeon doesn’t have privileges at your preferred facility, you’ll have to go back to one of the previous two steps. You’ll probably need to change either your surgeon or the facility, for the quality of both is important. A good surgeon who can practice at a highly rated facility is what you should ultimately look for. Prime Surgical Suites surgeons are recognized as some of the best in the region.
The final step is to clarify how your health insurer will cover your surgical procedure. Contact them to find out whether the procedure will be viewed as an in-network or out-of-network service, and ask specifically about both your surgeon and the facility. Sometimes one might be in-network and the other may not be.
A representative of your insurance company can also explain what your applicable costs will be once you know whether the claim will be filed as in-network or not.
If you need orthopedic surgery, contact the team at Prime Surgical Suites to learn more about the quality of care that our surgical center provides. We have skilled surgeons and other excellent providers who are well-equipped to make sure your procedure goes as well as possible.
At Prime 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.