The question of the location of your surgery probably never even occurred to you when you started thinking about having plastic surgery. If you are having plastic surgery, it must be done in a hospital, right? Actually, there are a wide variety of options and you need to understand them before making plastic surgeon evaluations. Much of the decision making process will depend on your comfort level with surgical procedures.
There are three options when it comes to the location of your surgery. The first is the traditional hospital setting. The second is a surgical center. The third is actually in the office of the surgeon. By far, the largest percentage of plastic surgery procedures occur in the offices of the surgeon.
Having your surgery done in a hospital is an excellent choice. First, it means your surgeon has hospital privileges, which means the hospital has evaluated the surgeon and found them to have a level of competency the hospital is comfortable with. Second, the hospital surgical process is highly regulated by government, which means you are going to get optimal care before, during and after the procedure.
A surgical center is a facility set up to handle a variety of surgical procedures. Hospitals only have so much space and there is rarely enough time available to handle all the surgeries scheduled in your city or town. The surgical center fills this gap. Much like a hospital, it is heavily regulated and the care is very good. To collect fees, the center must be certified by various government agencies, and the government agencies are sticklers for details like safety. Having your surgery in a surgical center is not indicative of any negative factor.
Many surgeons have surgical facilities built into their offices. Since they are expensive, you will usually find these facilities when there is a group of doctors providing surgical procedures. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this approach, you need to pay close attention to certifications.
Has the facility been certified by an independent group for safety and emergency procedures? The question is not so much whether it is safe for the surgical procedure you are undergoing, but whether the facility is equipped to handle any unexpected problems. Surgery is an invasion of the body and carries inherent risks. It is important that certifications for things such as life support be held by the office and by the nurses.
Having surgery in an office facility is very common and has its benefits. The office option is almost always cheaper than hospitalization or a surgical center. Still, we are talking about your body, so make sure to view the facility, ask for certifications and meet with the nurses. If you are not comfortable with any aspect of the facility, you are better off going with a surgeon who has hospital privileges or using a surgical center.
There are a lot of factors to consider. Make sure you don't leave out the issue of the location of the actual procedure.
