Page 52 - Robeson Living Fall 2017

Same-day surgery: A quick stay and caring staff

Marsha Rowe keeps a drawer-full of
hand-written comments from patients
at The Surgery Center at Southeastern
Health Park.

“A lot of times people write things like,
‘God bless your team.’ ‘I’ve never been
treated so nicely’ or ‘You made me feel
comfortable,’” said Rowe.

For Rowe, comments like these—
gleaned from patient satisfaction surveys
—are a sign that the staff is focusing on
all the right things. In fact, the data show
that nearly 100 percent of patients
consistently would recommend the
facility to those who need same-day
surgery. That’s surgery ranging from
hernia repairs to cataract operations that
don’t require an overnight hospital stay.

A wide range of same-day procedures available locally
Today’s technology and minimally invasive techniques have helped to make day-surgery possible. Many surgeries are done
through small incisions, and surgeons use tiny cameras to view the operation. Other procedures (such as endoscopies) require
no incisions at all.

A wide range of procedures can be done at The Surgery Center, including:
• Cataract surgery.
• Ear, nose and throat (ENT) procedures, such as sinus surgeries, tonsillectomies, and ear tubes for children.
• Hernia repairs.
• Gallbladder surgery.
• Colonoscopies and endoscopies to make sure the GI system is healthy.
• The Orbera nonsurgical weight-loss balloon, which is inserted through the mouth using endoscopy.
• Gynecological procedures, like hysteroscopy and dilation and curettage.
• Precise, image-guided injections for low-back pain.
• Orthopedic procedures, such as carpal tunnel treatment and knee arthroscopy.
• Podiatric procedures, such as hammertoes, bunion repair and other foot surgeries.
• Urologic procedures, such as vasectomies.

Surgery Center advantages

You could have same-day surgery at Southeastern’s main hospital—it’s been offered there for years. But having surgery outside
a hospital setting does have advantages, Rowe explains.
For one, it can be more affordable. Surgery centers are able to provide services at a lower cost to insurers than a hospital can.
That savings gets passed along to patients in the form of lower co-pays, for instance. “It’s more cost-effective for the patient to
have their procedure here,” said Rowe.
The Surgery Center also strives to offer efficient services that fit people’s busy schedules. For example, pre-surgery assessments
(in which nurses take a medical history) are done over the phone.
“They don’t have to come in,” said Rowe. “Most people are working, and it can be hard to get off work.” cont. on page 53
Robeson Living ~ Fall 2017
Page 52
Page 51 Sometimes in a hospital, an elective procedure may need to be rescheduled if someone else needs an emergency surgery. That’s
less likely to happen at The Surgery Center.
Stress-free parking and first-floor access also make having a procedure at The Surgery Center convenient. “Many people prefer
this kind of setting because the parking is easy, since we’re not located on a hospital campus,” said Rowe. Instead, The Surgery
Center is located at 4901 Dawn Drive in Lumberton.