A freestanding ambulatory surgical unit: a success or failure?

The concept of a freestanding ambulatory surgical center was to provide the patient with a more cost-effective, safe, and convenient service. A study of 5,369 surgical patients treated at the Northeast Louisiana Surgical Center, Inc., in Monroe, Louisiana, was carried out to determine whether these objectives had been met. The finding was that a freestanding ambulatory surgical center was more cost effective than either a hospital ambulatory unit or an in-hospital service. The infection rate was 0.06%, and the hospital transfer rate was 0.04%. The concept of freestanding ambulatory surgical center has fulfilled the expectations of safety, convenience, and cost effectiveness for the patients.