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Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) continue to be the focus of healthcare industry leaders seeking to reduce overall care costs. The expansion of care delivery outside of the traditional hospital setting correlates with falling costs, improved outcomes, and increased rates of patient satisfaction. Because of their limited offerings and outpatient focus, ASCs can offer diagnostic and outpatient procedures at lower rates than hospitals and other inpatient centers — often with shorter wait times for patients.
According to Definitive Healthcare's commercial claims data, the most common surgical procedures at ASCs were largely diagnostic and focused on the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Colonoscopies and esophagogastroduodenoscopies appeared 5 times on our list, with a combined total of 2.1 million procedures. Cataracts-related surgeries also made several appearances on the list, with more than 1.2 million total claims across three types of procedures.
In addition to cataracts and GI-related procedures, epidural injections are the next most commonly-performed procedures. This trend is consistent with the role of ASCs in healthcare delivery, which is to offer affordable and effective care that does not require overnight observation or other hospitalization.
Top 25 Surgical Procedures at Ambulatory Surgery Centers
| CPT/HCPCS Code | Description | Number of Procedures | Average Charges/Procedure | |
|
1. |
66984 |
Cataract surgery w/intraocular implant 1 stage |
939,706 |
$2,869 |
|
2. |
43239 |
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy w/biopsy |
818,663 |
$1,645 |
|
3. |
45380 |
Colonoscopy and biopsy |
714,440 |
$2,417 |
|
4. |
45385 |
Colonoscopy w/lesion removal |
537,534 |
$1,711 |
|
5. |
20610 |
Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, major joint or bursa |
479,423 |
$284 |
|
6. |
45378 |
Diagnostic colonoscopy |
444,726 |
$1,748 |
|
7. |
36415 |
Routine venipuncture |
309,851 |
$15 |
|
8. |
67028 |
Injection eye drug |
239,291 |
$525 |
|
9. |
64483 |
Injection(s), anesthetic agent and/or steroid, transforaminal epidural, with imaging guidance |
220,014 |
$1,927 |
|
10. |
66821 |
Discission of secondary membranous cataract |
199,618 |
$1,002 |
|
11. |
64493 |
Injection to paravertebral facet joint lmbar/ sacral spine 1 lev |
155,509 |
$2,017 |
|
12. |
62323 |
Injection(s), of diagnostic or therapeutic substance(s), lumbar/sacral spine |
148,340 |
$1,590 |
|
13. |
64494 |
Injection to paravertebral facet joint lmbar/ sacral spine 2 lev |
119,804 |
$1,446 |
|
14. |
64415 |
Nerve block injection brachial plexus |
100,289 |
$1,251 |
|
15. |
64636 |
Paravertebral facet joint nerve destruction |
93,202 |
$2,013 |
|
16. |
69436 |
Create eardrum opening |
92,433 |
$2,812 |
|
17. |
64484 |
Injection into foramen, epidural add-on |
92,029 |
$1,469 |
|
18. |
64635 |
Paravertebral facet joint nerve destruction, single facent joint |
85,461 |
$2,721 |
|
19. |
66982 |
Cataract surgery complex |
74,897 |
$3,118 |
|
20. |
29881 |
Knee arthroscopy/surgery |
73,505 |
$5,021 |
|
21. |
43235 |
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, diagnostic brush wash |
72,863 |
$1,157 |
|
22. |
20611 |
Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, major joint or bursa, w/ ultrasound |
70,056 |
$378 |
|
23. |
20550 |
Injection into tendon sheath/ligament |
69,345 |
$204 |
|
24. |
17000 |
Destruction of benign or premalignant lesion |
68,440 |
$120 |
|
25. |
29826 |
Shoulder arthroscopy/surgery |
67,527 |
$4,310 |
Fig 1. Data from Definitive Healthcare based on 2018 commercial claims data. Commercial claims data is sourced from multiple medical claims clearinghouses in the United States. Data is updated monthly.