According to the report, 17 percent of outpatient surgeries occur in physician offices, many of which are not accredited. Several highly-publicized deaths have occurred at these unaccredited facilities, and as a result, many states are beginning to crack down on unaccredited offices that perform surgeries.
New York now requires accreditation of all physician offices that perform surgery requiring moderate or deep sedation, and violators will face stiff penalties from the state medical board. Additionally, California, Indiana, Florida, Arizona and Nevada have passed or are considering similar measures.
In states without regulation, physicians can perform surgery in their offices as long as they have a medical license, although some do voluntarily undergo accreditation.
According to the report, outpatient surgeries account for 65 percent of all surgeries in the country, and the number of outpatient surgeries has increased 20 percent in the last 20 years. Of these, 45 percent are performed at hospital outpatient departments and 38 percent occur at ASCs, both of which are generally considered to be safe.
