Hand and shoulder operations can be done with exceptionally high levels of safety in freestanding, outpatient centers, according to a new study published in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
For the study, researchers reviewed the outcomes of 28,737 procedures performed between 2001 and 2012 at a freestanding ambulatory surgical center in Wexford, Pa. The center specialized in upper extremity surgery. Cases were reviewed for adverse events like medication errors, wrong-site surgery, postoperative blood clots and other complications commonly linked to surgical procedures.
In total, the researchers identified 58 reportable adverse events, resulting in an overall complication rate of 0.2 percent. Adverse events included one medication error, four postoperative blood clots and 14 infections. Also, 18 patients were transferred to hospital after surgery for additional care and 21 patients were admitted to a hospital after being discharged by the surgical center.
The study's lead author, Kanu S. Goyal, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, said, "Our study shows that with proper patient selection, hand and upper extremity surgery can be completed safely at a free-standing ambulatory surgery center."
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