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AT 7 A.M. on a recent day, a 52-year-old woman from Longmont, Colorado walked into the ambulatory-surgery unit at Minimally Invasive Spine Institute in Lafayette, Colorado. At 1:30 P.M. she was headed home.  Only a small scar on her lower back revealed that she had undergone a one-and-a-half-hour operation to remove a tiny bone pressing on a nerve in her lumbar spine.

AT 8:30 A.M. on a recent day, a 40-year-old man from Sumner, Washington walked into the ambulatory-surgery unit at Microsurgical Spine Center in Puyallup, Washington. At 3 P.M. he was on his way home for the evening.  Only the 1”scar on the left lower side of his neck revealed that he had undergone a one-and-a-half-hour operation to remove a dysfunctional bone in his cervical spine.

Such same-day surgical procedures performed on an outpatient basis have been designed to meet the needs of generally healthy individuals and are being recognized as one of the more effective ways to control soaring consumer health costs.
NeoSpine, a Division of Symbion operates ambulatory facilities and offering patients more elective surgical procedures.  Our facilities are state licensed and Medicare approved.

Ambulatory surgery is considered by health insurers and hospital officials to be an important part of a cost-cutting trend in health care.

Dr. Scott Boyd, an anesthesiologist who lives in Boulder, Colorado and is part of a group that includes two other doctors, said he hopes more people become aware of the state’s first private, free-standing spine ambulatory-surgical center.  “It will save out of pocket cost not only to the patients, but to health plans also.  A state-of-the-art center is what the community needs and patients rave about their surgical experience.  “I’m proud to be a part of it.”

''But as costs for health care started to soar,'' Dr. Boyd said, ''the state came under mounting pressure for cost containment in health care from all sides, including health insurers, business and labor unions.''  

''I believe there is room for all of us because increasing numbers of surgical procedures are being done on a same-day basis today. Ambulatory-surgical centers give patients a choice.  And doctors who do minor surgery at our center will still operate on major cases in hospitals.  I don't anticipate any conflict.  Every patient I deal with view the center in a favorable light.”

Dr. Alan Villavicencio, Medical Director of Surgery at the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute, noted the an increased volume of surgical procedures performed on a same-day basis and said he believes the activity of the new ambulatory center proves that patients' acceptance of the center was very high.

''Not only do patients like it,'' Dr. Villavicencio said, ''but we're also getting plaudits from doctors who feel that ambulatory surgery not only minimizes patients' anxiety about surgery, but hastens recovery.  Patients recover faster at home.  And third-party payers like the way it works because it costs less, mainly because overnight hospital stays are eliminated.''