Michael Lee, MD, associate professor of orthopedic surgery and co-director of the Operative Performance Research Institute at University of Chicago Medical Center, led the study.
Here are three study insights:
1. Many spine surgeons opt to perform spine surgeries at medical centers to allow for prolonged monitoring.
2. While some states allow for 23-hour observation periods, this is based on state regulations. Dr. Lee said, “We looked at states that defined ASC as the same calendar day discharge to see whether rates of outpatient spine surgery were the same as for outpatient spine surgery elsewhere.” Researchers found the rates for ASCs were significantly below the rates for outpatient spine surgery at non-ASCs.
3. If states allowed for 23-hour stays, they had between two and seven times greater rates for spine surgery compared to ASCs lacking this ability.
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