Once viewed as niche facilities for low-acuity, outpatient procedures, ASCs are poised to expand into new specialties, adopt higher-acuity surgeries and redefine patient and physician expectations for surgical care.
Here are five recent changes for the ASC industry:
1. New clinical frontiers
The next era of ASC growth will be defined by procedures once considered exclusive to hospitals.
Michael Cournyea, CEO of University at Buffalo (N.Y.) Neurosurgery, told Becker’s he is most excited about “the potential cases that will be moved to ASCs within the next five years or so.” These include endovascular procedures for stroke, craniotomies for tumor removal, radiosurgery for cancer and interventional cardiology.
Orthopedic and spine specialists echoed that optimism.
Vadim Coz, MD, spine surgeon at Reno (Nev.) Orthopedic Clinic, told Becker’s that advances in minimally invasive techniques now allow many patients to undergo lumbar fusions with same-day discharge.
“The combination of these trends — the evolution of minimally invasive spine procedures and the financial implications of programs like Medicare’s TEAM pilot — will inevitably drive a greater volume of spine surgeries from traditional hospital settings to ASCs,” he said.
2. ASCs’ unique, efficient model
Beyond clinical expansion, leaders emphasized the environment ASCs foster: streamlined operations, cutting-edge technology and a relentless focus on patient comfort.
“ASCs find themselves at a crossroads so commonly because they are blazing new pathways for patient care that radiates efficiency, innovation and forward thinking,” said Tracy Helmer, BSN, RN, administrator of Mesa, Ariz.-based Tri City Cardiology Surgical Center.
For patients, this often translates into less stress and a smoother experience.
“The patient experience is improved due to the ease of navigation and the perception of a more relaxed surgical encounter,” said Josh Troast, MSN, director of ambulatory surgical services at Muskegon (Mich.) Surgical Associates.
3. Physician engagement and ownership
ASCs also remain vital to physician independence and engagement.
Mr. Troast pointed out that in physician-owned centers, surgeons have “a chance to engage in the operations of the surgical environment that they and their patients access,” while also supplementing compensation with ownership revenue, a factor that can help sustain private practice viability.
4. Lower costs
Cost remains one of the ASC model’s strongest selling points.
“As technology advances and healthcare delivery shifts toward value and convenience, ASCs are uniquely positioned to lead the way — offering high quality outcomes, lower costs and a better experience for both patients and providers,” said Bonnie Greenblatt, director of ambulatory surgical services at the Utica-based Michigan Institute of Urology.
Mr. Troast added that financial relief is critical in today’s environment of rising patient responsibility.
“With the lower-cost option of an ASC, the financial strains can be reduced,” he said.
