Anesthesiologists Must Be Active in Patient Selection for Ambulatory Surgery

Surgeons may push anesthesia providers to participate in inappropriate or ill-fitting procedures at ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), which is why it’s important to push back based on evidence-based practices to boost quality and positive outcomes.

“We should be the gatekeepers of patients coming to ASCs so we can be the gatekeepers of outcomes, too,” said Girish Joshi, MD, professor of anesthesiology and pain management at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, in Dallas, and past president of the Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia (SAMBA). Dr. Joshi spoke about patient selection in the ambulatory surgery setting at “Driving Change in Ambulatory Anesthesia,” a joint meeting held by SAMBA and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).

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