Of the 700,000 patients undergoing total knee replacement each year, a few patients are saving time and money by utilizing outpatient centers.
Here are eight facts to note:
1. Excelsior Orthopedics introduced a program allowing patients undergoing total knee replacement to have the procedures conducted at outpatient centers as opposed to hospitals.
2. There are risks associated with a major procedure like total knee replacement, but physicians reduce risks by only accepting otherwise healthy patients.
3. By accepting healthy patients, physicians provide optimal care for patients who are able to begin recovery sooner in a well-stocked apartment suite where they will be more comfortable and better fed than in a hospital.
4. The flat fee charged by Excelsior costs less than a hospital and includes all of its costs and overhead. The set fee is one-third lower than the typical hospital cost of $30,000 to $35,000.
5. The outpatient procedure program implemented by Excelsior reflects the growing trend toward bundled, value-based payments sought by insurers. In addition, the region's three major health insurance companies stated they will cover the outpatient procedures.
6 According to a study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, the number of total hip replacements have more than doubled between 1993 and 2009, with the number of total knee replacements in the United States tripling in that time period.
7. Minimally invasive surgical procedures, advances in implant technology, improvements in pain management and post-surgery rehabilitation coordination makes outpatient surgery possible.
8. Excelsior has thus far performed 13 outpatient procedures with 11 more scheduled in the near future.
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