AAAASF Announces New Study Published by Aesthetic Surgery Journal
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (PRWEB) September 22, 2016 -- Findings in a new study recently published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal show that accredited office-based surgery suites (OBSS) are a safe alternative to ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) and hospitals for cosmetic procedures.
A prospective cohort of patients undergoing cosmetic surgery between 2008 and 2013 were identified from a national CosmetAssure database. Patients were grouped by type of accredited facility where the surgery was performed: office-based surgery suite, ambulatory surgery center or hospital. The focus of the study was the incidence of major complication(s) requiring emergency room visit, hospital admission or re-operation within 30 days postoperatively. Potential risk factors including age, gender, body mass index (BMI), smoking, diabetes, type of procedure and combined procedures were reviewed.
Of the 129,007 patients (183,914 procedures) in the dataset, 57.4% underwent the procedure at ASC, followed by 26.7% at hospitals and 15.9% at OBSS. Patients operated in OBSS were less likely to undergo combined procedures (30.3%) compared to ASC (31.8%) and hospitals (35.3%). Complication rates in OBSS, ASC and hospitals were 1.3%, 1.9% and 2.4%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, there was a lower risk of developing a complication in an OBSS compared to an ASC or a hospital.
The findings support previous analysis by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF) in which the incidence of mortality in AAAASF accredited facilities was found to be very low.
“This new ASJ article validates our own published data that shows office-based surgery centers are safe for patients,” said AAAASF board trustee, Dr. Robert Singer. “In addition, as outpatient surgery has grown over time, statistics indicate a significant reduction in the rate of infections that are more frequent in hospitals.”
AAAASF promotes the highest quality patient safety in the ambulatory surgery setting (office-based or outpatient) and rehabilitation and outpatient therapy agencies, as well as rural health clinics. AAAASF requires 100 percent compliance with all accreditation standards and does not offer partial accreditation. If a facility fails to meet any standard, it must correct the deficiency or risk denial or loss of accreditation. Peer review reporting is mandatory for all surgeons operating in AAAASF-accredited facilities. Each surgeon must report all unanticipated sequelae and at least six random cases reviewed by an accepted peer review group biannually.
In addition, AAAASF is the only accrediting organization that requires physicians performing procedures within an accredited facility to be currently board certified or qualified by one of the boards recognized by the ABMS, AOA or a board with equivalent standards approved by the state medical board. A surgery must be one that is generally recognized by that certifying board as falling within the scope of training and practice of the physician providing the care.
“Outpatient surgery is safe for patients of all ages, provided that the surgeon and anesthesiologist have assessed their medical suitability to the outpatient setting,” said AAAASF President-Elect, Dr. David Watts. “Our accreditation standards for Medicare and non-Medicare facilities are designed to ensure safe care. AAAASF believes in discussing the risks and benefits during a patient's assessment and ensuring the proper clinical staff and equipment are in the room when a procedure is performed.”
About the AAAASF
The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Inc. (AAAASF) was established in 1980 to standardize and improve the quality of medical and surgical care in outpatient facilities and assure the public that patient safety is top priority in an accredited facility. More than 2,400 outpatient facilities are accredited by AAAASF, one of the largest not-for-profit accrediting organizations in the United States. Surgeons, legislators, state and national health agencies and patients acknowledge that AAAASF sets the "gold standard" for quality patient care.
AAAASF programs include outpatient surgical, procedural, oral maxillofacial, international surgical, rehabilitation and dental. AAAASF is also approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to accredit ambulatory surgery centers, rehabilitation and outpatient physical therapy agencies, as well as rural health clinics. For more information, visit http://www.aaaasf.org or Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Kim Kubiak, American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, http://AAAASF.org, +1 (847) 775-7915, [email protected]
Share this article