Physicians performed nearly 113 million routine venipunctures in 2016, making that the most popular outpatient procedure that year, according to Definitive Healthcare data from Medicare claims.
Routine venipunctures were performed over 47 times more frequently than the next most common outpatient procedure, esophageal biopsy.
Physicians provided about three times more outpatient procedures than inpatient procedures in 2016. More than 184 million outpatient surgical procedures took place, compared to 58 million inpatient surgical procedures.
Here are the top 26 outpatient surgical procedures by volume.
1. Routine venipunctures: More than 113,000,000
2. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy biopsy: 2,442,826
3. Capillary blood draw: 2,338,560
4. Colonoscopy and biopsy: 2,210,609
5. Debridement of subcutaneous tissue 20 sq. cm. or less: 1,924,540
6. Draw blood off venous device: 1,591,989
7. Repair superficial wounds: skin, neck, genitals, trunk (2.5 sq. cm. or less): 1,471,470
8. Colonoscopy with lesion removal: 1,393,577
9. Drain or inject fluid, major joint: 1,263,331
10. Diagnostic colonoscopy: 1,234,234
11. Blood transfusion service: 1,213,099
12. Apply forearm splint: 955,845
13. Cataract surgery with intraocular implant 1 stage: 955,403
14. Repair superficial wounds — face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, mucus membrane (2.5 sq. cm. or less): 890,188
15. Repair superficial wounds — skin, neck, genitals, trunk (2.6 to 7.5 sq. cm.): 881,517
16. Drainage of skin abscess: 827,510
17. Collect blood from picc: 793,509
18. Injection into lumbar/sacral spine: 765,314
19. Place needle in vein: 718,901
20. Withdrawal of arterial blood: 671,543
21. Application lower leg splint: 592,942
22. Apply multilayer compression system to lower leg: 582,867
23. Insert temporary bladder catheter: 562,176
24. Injection of anaesthetic and/or steroid into lumbar/sacral spine: 549,535
25. Diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy via brushing or washing: 469,601
26. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: 460,025