An Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) is a specialized medical facility that provides outpatient surgical care. Patients who choose to have surgery in an ASC receive cost-effective services and a convenient environment that is less stressful than what many hospitals can offer. ASCs are not rural health clinics, urgent care centers, or ambulatory care centers that provide diagnostic or primary health care services. They treat only patients who have already seen a healthcare provider and selected surgery as the appropriate treatment for their condition. ASCs are usually small businesses owned by members of their community, and they benefit their communities not only by providing access to reasonably priced surgical care but also by contributing to the local property and income tax bases and providing services and contributions to community charities.
ASCs must have at least one dedicated operating room and the equipment needed to perform surgery safely and ensure quality patient care. They handle both elective and essential procedures, but they do not accept walk-in, urgent care, or emergency room patients. ASCs provide outpatient surgical treatments, which means that a patient isn’t admitted to a hospital and can go home the same day of the surgery. ASCs specialize in procedures that don’t require an overnight stay in a hospital but may be more complex than what an urgent care facility can offer. Some of the most common surgeries done at ASCs include ophthalmology (eye) procedures, such as LASIK, cataract removal, and glaucoma treatment, and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) procedures, such as tonsil removal, sinus surgery, and the removal of benign lesions.
ASCs are community-based and must be certified by an organization such as the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) . The ASCA represents all aspects of the ASC industry, including physicians, nurses, administrative staff, and owners. The ASCA works with all ASC accrediting bodies to assure that appropriate standards and processes are used to evaluate ASC quality. ASCs have proven to provide exceptional le...
