List of Top 20 Outpatient Surgical Procedures
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The most commonly performed outpatient surgical procedures vary significantly between hospitals and surgery centers. While both care center categories reported high volumes of joint aspirations and injections, a larger percentage of surgery center procedures included injections compared to hospitals.
Top 10 Outpatient Surgeries at Hospitals
| Rank | CPT Code | Description | Number of Procedures |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 11042 | Debridement of subcutaneous tissue, less than 20sq cm | 448,703 |
| 2. | 12001 | Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities (including hands and feet) | 387,447 |
| 3. | 20610 | Aspiration from or injection into a major joint (shoulder, hip, knee) | 353,297 |
| 4. | 12011 | Simple repair of superficial wounds on face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, mucous membranes; 2.5 cm or smaller | 267,752 |
| 5. | 66984 | Cataract surgery with intraocular lens implant, 1 stage | 231,238 |
| 6. | 12002 | Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk, and extremities; 2.6 cm to 7.5 cm | 212,567 |
| 7. | 10060 | Drainage of skin abscess | 196,954 |
| 8. | 29125 | Application of forearm splint | 194,654 |
| 9. | 62323 | Injection(s) of diagnostic or therapeutic substance(s), i.e. anesthetic, opioid, steroid, etc) | 172,528 |
| 10. | 47562 | Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) | 153,357 |
Fig 1 Outpatient surgery data from Definitive Healthcare’s Commercial Claims Analytics platform. Surgical procedures by volume data is from CY 2017, and does not include biopsy procedures, diagnostic tests, or blood drawing.
Hospitals and surgery centers both reported high volumes of cataract surgeries with intraocular lens implants. Similarly, surgery centers reported injections of drugs into the eye as one of the most common procedures, though it does not make an appearance on the hospital list. Procedures like cataract surgeries and joint replacements are common in outpatient settings because patients generally report shorter recovery times and require less physician monitoring than for other surgical procedures.
Top 10 Outpatient Surgeries at Surgery Centers
| Rank | CPT Code | Description | Number of Procedures |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 66984 | Cataract surgery with intraocular lens implant, 1 stage | 848,563 |
| 2. | 20610 | Aspiration from or injection into a major joint (shoulder, hip, knee) | 592,390 |
| 3. | 67028 | Injection of drug into the eye | 225,248 |
| 4. | 64483 | Injection of transforaminal epidural into lumbar/sacral spine | 218,745 |
| 5. | 66821 | YAG Laser Capsulotomy; after cataract laser surgery | 181,564 |
| 6. | 62323 | Injection(s) of diagnostic or therapeutic substance(s) into lumbar/sacral spine (i.e. anesthetic, opioid, steroid) | 143,457 |
| 7. | 64493 | Paravertebral injection to facet joint, lumbar/sacral spine, 1 level | 138,535 |
| 8. | 64494 | Paravertebral injection to facet joint, lumbar/sacral spine, 2 level | 107,268 |
| 9. | 64415 | Injection of nerve block (anesthetic agent) | 100,024 |
| 10. | 69436 | Create eardrum opening | 97,654 |
Fig 2 Data from Definitive Healthcare’s Commercial Claims Analytics platform. Surgical procedures by volume data is from CY 2017, and does not include biopsy procedures, diagnostic tests, or blood drawing.
Another area where hospital and surgery center procedures differ most is in the debridement and repair of superficial wounds. These make up 4 of the top 10 procedures at hospitals, but none make an appearance on the surgery center list. Where hospital outpatient centers include emergency departments, where these types of procedures would most commonly be performed, surgery centers do not offer such a service.
