There are certain surgical procedures that may not be as invasive as others or they may have a shorter recovery time where you are up and walking around within hours. Often, these types of procedures are performed at an outpatient facility. These facilities specialize in certain types of procedures. When you use such a facility, you do not have to deal with overnight stays. Instead a few hours after your procedure, you are able to go home to recover in the comfort of your own bed.
Many people fear that the treatment they receive will not be as high in quality or the procedure could be more dangerous. However, this is not actually the case. If you have never been to an outpatient center or have never had treatment in one, there are some things you should know.
You Will Be Less Exposed to InfectionWhen you have a surgical procedure in a hospital facility, there is always a risk of infection no matter how careful the staff is and how clean the hospital is. There are many, many sick people in a hospital and one sneeze or cough could spread infection. However in an outpatient facility, things are quite different. Here only people that need certain procedures will be there and they will not be spreading those dangerous infections. You will be much safer from infection by having your procedure in one of these facilities.
In a hospital, the doctors, nurses, and techs must spread their attention in about 100 different directions – toward the patients already there, to new patients coming in through the emergency room, and to the families of the patients. Because of this, they are often busy and cannot give you as much attention as you would like. Additionally, you may have to wait hours to get certain tests and procedures you need during your stay. In an outpatient facility, there is no emergency room and no constant influx of patients. Your doctors and nurses will be able to spend much more time giving you direct attention during your stay.
One of the best things about an outpatient facility is that you will not have to deal with the frustration of being moved from place to place for tests, your procedure as well as your recovery. In an outpatient facility, you have your procedure and recover all in the same place. This will make things much less of a hassle for you and you will not have to be moved until you are ready to go home. When you’re sent home, the person who came with you will be given recovery instructions as well as a direct number to call for any questions.
Overnight hospital stays can add up to huge medical bills, more than the procedure itself. So you’re not paying less with outpatient surgery for less quality service. Most nationally recognized medical insurances have an in-network copay for outpatient surgery and surgeon fees that are a fraction of inpatient surgery costs. However, this entirely depends on your medical insurance. Before getting surgery, make sure you look up your benefits and call your medical insurance provider to ask any coverage questions. You can also ask our billing department questions on coverage. We will contact your insurance provider and go over your coverage costs well before the surgery.
You can see post-op and recovery overviews for outpatient surgery to learn more
For any questions or to schedule an appointment, call Surgical Consultants of Northern Virginia at (571) 512-5300
