I
've always been a big believer in the potential
of performing complex joint procedures on an
outpatient basis. I performed my first outpa-
tient total hip 20 years ago, and I was the first one
in the world to do it. I did my first outpatient knee
replacement 18 years ago. Since then, I've done
more than 11,000 outpatient joint replacement pro-
cedures, and I've seen plenty of changes in the
industry during that time. One of these changes is
occurring as we speak. Patients today are less wor-
ried about going to a surgery center for orthopedic
procedures, be it a total joint replacement or a
shoulder arthroscopy. In fact, in many cases,
patients actually prefer it. The COVID-19 pandemic
has certainly played a role in this shift. Patients who
opt for elective surgery want to avoid hospital stays
and, in many cases, hospitals overrun with coron-
avirus patients are moving procedures they may
have handled inpatient pre-pandemic to the outpa-
tient realm for safety or resource-related issues.
Of course, there will always be a need for both
large hospitals and small standalone surgery cen-
ters. However, right now, the latter is better posi-
tioned to meet the complex surgical needs and
patient care requirements of the COVID-19 era.
When we got the green light to restart elective sur-
geries after the nationwide shutdown earlier this
year, our health system's surgery centers opened
first because it was much easier for focused staff to
get the extra safety measures up and running.
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On Point
Richard A. Berger, MD | Chicago
Exciting Opportunities in Orthopedics
Proven results and COVID-19 are driving more patients to outpatient ORs.
RECORD-BREAKER Richard A. Berger, MD, performs one of the more than 11,000 total joint procedures he's completed.
Midwest
Orthopaedics
at
Rush
