More Southern California Breast Reduction Patients Choosing Outpatient Settings

MARINA DEL REY, Calif. — In recent years, breast reduction patients in Southern California have begun to show an increasing interest in having their procedures performed at outpatient surgical facilities instead of hospitals. Grant Stevens, MD, and David Stoker, MD, of Marina Plastic Surgery Associates (MPSA) in Los Angeles perform an increasing number of plastic surgery procedures at Marina Outpatient Surgery Center, and they have found the outpatient option to be a popular one among women choosing "The Beverly Hills Breast Reduction."

There are a number of reasons why breast reduction patients are beginning to favor outpatient facilities over hospitals. One factor that has likely contributed to this trend is the strict safety standards required of outpatient facilities. In 1996, it became mandatory for all outpatient facilities that administer sedation or general anesthesia in the state of California to be accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF). Under AAAASF regulations, outpatient facilities are required to meet stringent standards for operating safety, equipment, staff, and surgeon credentials.

Prompted by his patients' increasing interest in outpatient facilities, Stevens and several colleagues recently published a retrospective review of his Southern California breast reduction patients who had their procedures performed in an outpatient setting over the last 11 years. The study, which was co-authored by Stoker, found that complication rates among outpatient breast reduction patients are comparable to those of patients whose procedures are performed in hospitals.

"The study confirmed what we had known for some time: outpatient breast reductions can be performed safely at accredited outpatient facilities," says Stevens, who is a board-certified plastic surgeon and the medical director of MPSA. "I feel confident presenting our Los Angeles and Beverly Hills breast reduction patients with empirical evidence that our outpatient facility maintains a level of safety that matches the hospital setting."

Another advantage of outpatient facilities is that in many cases they offer patients a more affordable alternative to the hospital setting. In fact, studies have shown that a procedure performed at an accredited outpatient facility may cost only one-half as much as the same procedure performed in a hospital. High levels of safety combined with lowered costs certainly have contributed to the rising popularity of outpatient facilities among breast reduction patients.

In addition to safety and lowered costs, women appreciate the privacy and comfort that the outpatient setting offers. Because outpatient surgery centers are smaller than hospitals, most patients find that the staff is able to provide a much more personal level of care than they would find at a hospital. Most Beverly Hills breast reduction patients find the Marina Outpatient Surgery Center to be more convenient and relaxed than a hospital.

"The choice to undergo a breast reduction procedure is a very personal one and many of our breast reduction patients are looking for a level of discretion and privacy that a hospital simply can't offer," says Stoker, who is also a board-certified plastic surgeon at MPSA. "Patients appreciate outpatient facilities because they receive the same quality of care that they would at a hospital, but in a setting that is much more comfortable and private."

Some of the most important considerations for all plastic surgery patients are their safety, the cost of the procedure, and the quality of care they are going to receive. Outpatient surgical facilities are becoming increasingly popular among breast reduction patients because they offer hospital-quality care at a lower cost and in a setting that is extremely safe and more comfortable than a hospital.

"We have been seeing a move toward outpatient facilities among our Beverly Hills breast reduction patients for some time," says Stevens. "In fact, a large number of our plastic surgery patients — people having liposuction, tummy tucks and more — choose to have their procedure at the Marina Outpatient Surgery Center."

Source: PRWeb