It’s always a good weekend away at The Greenbrier when you come back with a win!
In this case, the win came from a research summit during the 8th Annual Extremity Summit in White Sulphur Springs, WV. Dr. Andrew Henebry claimed top prize among fellow presentations with his talk entitled, “Efficiency and Outcomes in the Minor Procedure Room.”
The research highlights the benefits of OrthoCarolina’s Minor Procedure Room (MPR) and why the variety and number of procedures performed in hand surgeon’s offices are expanding.
In-office surgery using the Wide Awake, Local Anesthetic, No Tourniquet (WALANT) technique is increasing in popularity in hand surgery. The OrthoCarolina (OC) Hand Center has embraced this concept and created a dedicated MPR to perform dozens of types of common hand procedures in the office.
A deep dive into a Minor Procedure Room found multiple benefits for OC patients including:
Thanks to high patient satisfaction, the MPR is continuing to grow in popularity. Patients also appreciate the reduction in cost that’s associated with MPR procedures.
But why are costs so much lower?
We’re glad you asked…
The data showed that the total amount of physical waste generated during the procedure is reduced by 70% when done in the MPR verses the OR. Less waste means there’s less cost for everyone.
The time and efficiency of the procedures also improved for patients. The average MPR case takes about an hour from the time of check-in to the time they walk out the door, according to our findings. A common procedure, such as trigger finger or carpal tunnel release are 3.4 times faster for patients compared to the same procedure done in a surgery center.
But is it safe?
The data says, “yes.”
Based on the numbers, overall infection and complication rates are below or on-par with national averages for the same procedures being performed in an OR.
It’s easy to see why these findings were well received by peers at the Extremity Summit.
Here at the OrthoCarolina Research Institute (OCRI), we get excited to see research that propels improvements in quality and patient outcomes.
Congratulations to Dr. Henebry and the OrthoCarolina Hand Center for the honor of first place presentation. Special thanks should be given to Mitch Bellamy, Dawn Buzbee, and Kimona Chambers for their hard work in making surgery in the MPR such a success, and our research possible.
Your dedication to your patients and research does not go unnoticed by your colleagues at OCRI.
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