Tag: Workflow

Keeping sensory aids in place during surgery reduces delirium risk in older hip fracture patients

Editor's Note Allowing older surgical patients to keep dentures, glasses, and hearing aids until anesthesia and restoring them immediately afterward significantly lowered postoperative delirium (POD) rates, according to a study published in BMC Geriatrics on August 30. The prospective before-and-after trial followed patients aged 70 and older undergoing hip fracture…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 25, 2025
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Report warns sterile processing staffing crisis threatens surgical safety

Editor's Note Sterile processing departments (SPDs) face chronic staffing shortages and underinvestment that put surgical patients at risk, according to a Surgical Directions September 18 report. It emphasizes that sterile processing technicians, who decontaminate, inspect, and sterilize every surgical instrument, remain under-recognized despite their central role in surgical safety. Per…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 24, 2025
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High BMI alone did not raise early complication risk after outpatient TJA

Editor's Note Patients with BMI 40 or higher had similar 24-hour and 1–90 day complication rates to lower-BMI patients after primary total joint arthroplasty (TJA) performed at an academic ambulatory surgery center (ASC), an August 25 article from The Journal of Arthroplasty reports. The study retrospectively analyzed 2,367 primary THA…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 24, 2025
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Surgical leaders urged to weigh risks, rewards of innovation with a critical eye

Editor's Note Innovation is transforming surgical care faster than most institutions can keep pace, but leaders must distinguish between investments that advance patient care and those that add cost without meaningful benefit. That is the central message from a September 8 Harvard Medical School article featuring insights from Jon O.…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 22, 2025
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Robots reshape surgical services, part 1: Emerging tech, rising risks

Takeaways • Robot-assisted surgery (RAS) is now an option in many specialties and for adult and pediatric patients; RAS-related ethical issues include access and patient privacy. • Intuitive Surgical continues to dominate the marketplace, but many companies are working on expanding their range of options. • Some current trends and…

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By: Cynthia Saver
August 27, 2025
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2026 ICD-10 updates bring hundreds of new codes, new complexity

Editor's Note Healthcare providers, payers, and analytics teams face sweeping ICD-10 changes this fall, with the 2026 code updates taking effect October 1, 2025, Wolters Kluwer July 14 reports. The release includes 614 new codes, 12 invalidations, 642 billability changes, 88 terminology revisions, and the creation of an entirely new…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
August 21, 2025
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ASCs face growing pressure to centralize implant management as specialty volumes surge

Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are taking on more high-acuity, same-day procedures than ever before. This growth is driven by evolving clinical protocols, cost-conscious reimbursement strategies, and expanded capabilities in outpatient care. Specialties like orthopedics, spine, ophthalmology, and cardiovascular care are moving more complex cases—and the implants that come with them—out…

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By: Tracey Berkowitz
August 19, 2025
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Centralized sterile processing cuts costs, complexity for four ASCs

Once limited to hospital inpatient settings, total joint surgery is increasingly common at ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) across the US. What is not so common is performing these complex procedures without the benefit of an onsite sterile processing department (SPD). And yet, that is exactly what we have accomplished at…

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By: Emily Arce and Lacey Dyer
August 13, 2025
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Translating MIPS Value Pathways into perioperative practice—What OR leaders need to know

In July 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed sweeping changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for calendar year 2026. Among the most impactful updates is the launch of the Ambulatory Specialty Model (ASM)—a mandatory value-based payment program focused on heart failure and low back pain.…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
August 5, 2025
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Key tactics for OR emergency readiness: Supply audits, team drills

Editor’s Note: This page is a companion piece to the main article, Emergency preparedness: Identifying essential supplies for unplanned surgical events. While the main article outlines the principles of emergency readiness and supply preparation in the OR, the posts below offer a closer look at two key implementation areas: Supply…

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By: Lesley Barton
July 30, 2025
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