A couple of articles in the media recently have focused on the ambulatory surgery center industry. Each discusses a couple of very relevant issues that are definitely worth a read.

First, The Post-Tribune of Northwest Indiana discusses how not only do the economy and Medicare reimbursement effects some ASCs closing their doors (including some in their region), but also exclusive contracts with hospitals and insurance companies, plus layoffs at big companies also cut back on the demand for outpatient surgery. For more information, click HERE.

Also of note is The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s article on the growing controversy in the state of Pennsylvania between ASCs and acute care hospitals. The ASC industry has had a boom in the state, currently outnumbering hospitals, and that has brought a windfall to ASCs. The story notes that an analysis completed by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council shows that on average, the centers see $806 in revenue per outpatient visit, compared with $296 per outpatient visit at a traditional acute care hospital. At the same time, hospitals have suffered, seeing a drop in outpatient procedures in 2007 for the first time, which is creating more financial pressure on them, and could conceivably put some in danger of closing. For more information, click HERE.

On a given business day, I read through hundreds of interesting stories, both in print and online. But after seeing this one, I had to mention something about it. And while I’m sure that this story will be won’t be the first of its kind as far as people resorting to desperate measures in this recession goes, it has to be one of the strangest.

A recent article on Forbes.com discussed how a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, Calif., was using fat for fuel. Craig Alan Bittner, MD, was literally taking the fat from his patient’s liposuctions and using them as a biodiesel for both he and his girlfriend’s SUV’s.

The first thought that came to my mind was of the late Charlton Heston’s both infamous and humorous rant in the 1973 sci-fi film Soylent Green — “Soylent Green is people! PEOPLE!”

But believe it or not, fat can be used as a biodiesel (obviously, or Bittner and his girlfriend wouldn’t have traveled very far). Fat contains triglycerides that can be extracted and turned into diesel. I’m all for going green for the benefit of our environment, but let’s hope it’s not at the expense of some poor naïve souls who mysteriously disappear as they did in the movie, all in the name of free gas.

It’s a shame that surgeons like these are the ones that make up more headlines in the media than the ones who day in and day out, provide a high standard of care, give back to their respective communities and unfortunately go unnoticed. The bad ones, while they give folks like me something to talk about, end up giving the entire surgical profession a bad name in the end. And Bittner’s no exception. He’s currently facing lawsuits in California after patients allege he allowed his assistant and his girlfriend to perform surgeries without a medical license. Plus, his alternative fuel method is actually illegal in that state as well and he’s under investigation by its health department. To make matters worse, once word of both the lawsuits and investigations got out, Bittner apparently fled the country, heading to Colombia to start up volunteer work at a clinic there and avoid litigation.

For more information, click HERE.

Add another believer to the outpatient surgery industry. My father has developed acrochordon, or skin tags — those little benign growths that can form on the skin as we age, and needed to have them removed. Now normally, the fairly quick procedure can be done in one visit. But in his case, his skin tags were around his eyelids, causing problems with his sight. And with the instruments involved in removing them, his ophthalmologist suggested a couple of outpatient procedures to be on the safe side. He went in for his first treatment today and word is Dad is doing just fine, thank you. He was very impressed by how simple the procedure was and I actually get the impression he was looking forward to the next one in a few weeks.