Want to save money on your shoulder replacement?

Consider a surgery center

Now offering outpatient surgery center shoulder replacement for Virginia Beach , Chesapeake and Norfolk, Virginia patients.

In the past, all surgeries were done in a hospital. In the 1970’s even a simple carpal tunnel release required a trip to the hospital and in many cases an overnight stay. Things have certainly changed. Now the majority of orthopaedic surgeries are done on an outpatient basis and often in a surgery center. These are typically free standing surgical facilities not physically attached to the hospital.

Surgery centers offer many advantages to patients. They are more efficient, which allows patients to get home sooner, and they tend to be a more pleasant patient centered experience. But perhaps the biggest patient advantage is cost! Most operations done in surgery centers bill a small fraction of what is charged for the same operation performed in a hospital. This has become a very important issue because many patients now have high deductible health care plans that require them to pay a large portion of their surgical bill.

Knee replacements, hip replacements, and shoulder replacement can all be performed in surgery centers. Modern postoperative pain control techniques allow patients to comfortably recover at home. Obviously, this is not appropriate for all patients. Currently, it is not approved for medicare patients, so you must be under 65 years old and in good general health.

If you do qualify for a shoulder replacement in a surgery center, the cost savings can be substantial. In general, a hospital will charge an insurance company approximately twenty thousand dollars for a shoulder replacement. This cost can be reduced by half when done in a surgery center. Furthermore, patients having a surgery center shoulder replacement can avoid exposure to hospital acquired infections.

I am currently offering outpatient shoulder replacement at the Princess Anne Surgery Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia. http://www.atlanticortho.com/shoulder-replacement-program/

Author

Brad Carofino, MD Dr. Brad Carofino is a board-certified (American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery), fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in shoulder & upper extremity surgery. Dr. Carofino is an expert in shoulder replacement surgery, minimally invasive arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, and complex reconstructive procedures of the upper extremity.