Fospropofol disodium injection, an intravenous sedative-hypnotic agent for sedation in adults undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, is closer to an FDA OK after the agency's Advisory Committee on Anesthetic and Life Support Drugs voted 6 to 3 (with one abstention) in favor of approval, recommending that the drug be used only by appropriately trained healthcare providers. The committee also recommended additional studies be conducted in specific patient populations, including those with a variety of comorbidities, those weighing less than 60 kg and the elderly. Read more...  

The ability to perform total knee arthroplasty, or TKA, in the ASC setting depends on state law — you must be allowed to keep patients up to 23 hours, if necessary — but if your state permits overnight stays, such a program can be a lucrative addition to your facility. Read more...  

Since the administering of safe and effective anesthesia is such an essential component of the procedures performed in your ASC, you should approach the decision of who will provide anesthesia to your patients with due diligence. Here are three best practices offered by Robert Welti, MD, medical director and administrator of the Santa Barbara (Calif.) Surgery Center, to help you identify and attract the right anesthesia provider to your ASC.
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After reviewing the data on the safety and efficacy of sugammadex sodium injection, which reverses muscle relaxation induced as part of anesthesia, the FDA's Anesthetic and Life Support Drugs Advisory Committee has unanimously recommended it for approval by the agency. The committee met on March 11 to discuss the new drug application for the medication, made by Schering-Plough's Organon BioScience. Read more...  

Patients who have a small jaw and are not morbidly obese may have a new surgical option to treat their sleep apnea. Read more...  

A new study by the American Cancer Society revealed that of over 150,000 Medicare beneficiaries, only 25 percent received recommended screenings for colorectal cancer since Medicare initiated coverage for the tests, according to a press release from the American College of Gastroenterology.

The release indicated that while colorectal cancer deaths are decreasing, Medicare patients, minorities and the uninsured had among the worst screening rates. Read more...  

Since the administering of safe and effective anesthesia is such an essential component of the procedures performed in your ASC, you should approach the decision of who will provide anesthesia to your patients with due diligence. Here are three best practices offered by Robert Welti, MD, medical director and administrator of the Santa Barbara (Calif.) Surgery Center, to help you identify and attract the right anesthesia provider to your ASC. Read more...