A comparison of breast operations done in a hospital and the same procedure done in private operating rooms show that smaller can be quicker and just as good.

Writing in the July, 2010, issue of The American Journal of Surgery, five surgeons found the ambulatory (“ambulatory” means the patient leaves after surgery) surgical center they use was closing.  So they would  perform surgery in a nearby hospital instead. (Read more about the breast operations study.)

Choosing to make lemonade from what seemed like lemons, the surgeons duly booked their patients into the hospital operating room and then decided to compare the hospital’s experience to an ambulatory surgical center.

The doctor-authors pulled the records of 92 breast operation patients who had surgery in the ambulatory center between January 2004 and December 2005

Next, they studied the records of another 92 patients who had breast surgery in the hospital operating room, and also went home the same day. Moreover, the ages of the patients were similar.

The authors compared many aspects of surgery, including:

• Type and techniques of anesthesia
• Surgical procedures
• Recovery room events and activities
• The elapsed time from patient admission to the hospital to discharge

Results: There were very few surgical problems and a small number of infections in both the private clinic and the hospital.

Plus, recovery times were about the same for both groups.

The big difference? Time! The hospital took an average of 69 minutes longer.

Reasons why a hospital takes longer include:

• Nurses prep many patients, including outpatient and critically ill patients
• A private clinic has small and similar types of cases. But hospitals have more varied and complex cases.
• The preoperational area in a private clinic is closer to the operating room. Hospitals have endlessly long hallways.

Concluded the authors: “The..efficiency advantage of  a private operating room over a hospital has implications for patient and staff satisfaction, facility expense and surgeon productivity.”

If you would like to learn more about a top-rated, extremely sterile private operating room, read about the certified operating room in my office suite where I perform plastic surgery procedures of the breast, including:

• Breast reductions for men and women
• Breast augmentation for women
• Breast lift

Searching

Some time ago, I promised to pass on some insider tips on finding an excellent plastic surgeon, one who is most likely to give you a good outcome.

At least, given what I now know – after 25 years on Park Avenue – it’s what I would do if I wanted plastic surgery!

Many good surgeons are found online.

Just type into a search engine the kind of surgery you want and your location like this: “Breast Augmentation L.A.” or “Face lift San Diego.”

Check for training and background. To be called a plastic surgeon, a physician must have anywhere from five to eight or more years training after getting the M.D. degree.

That doctor should also be board certified in plastic surgery or otolaryngology – the only two specialties fully qualified to perform plastic surgery.

Check by going to The American Board of Medical Specialties, registering and typing in your surgeon’s name. Certification, if any, will show up.

Next, check for the surgeon’s hospital privileges. Hospitals take no chances and have fully investigated surgeons’ backgrounds and training.

If the website gives you an email address, ask the surgeon:

• How many times monthly he performs the rejuvenation you want
• If you can speak to former patients about their outcomes
• If the surgery center is certified

Look for a surgeon who performs the procedure you want at least weekly.

Look at the surgeon’s before and after plastic surgery pictures. There should be pages and pages – literally — of patients.

Look at the quality as well as the outcomes. All the before and afters should be standard with the same background, lighting, distance from the camera and other features.

When you go to the initial consultation, ask: what was your last procedure that went wrong and what did you do about it?

Even in the very best of hands things occasionally go wrong – an infection crops up or a patient is not satisfied with the outcome.

If the surgeon told me nothing ever went wrong, I would leave. I would be looking for the extra steps a fully trained and certified surgeon can take.

In the final analysis, patients are walking advertisements — he wants you to look good.

In fact, one happy patient will bring in five more through word of mouth alone.