25 Most Common Surgical Procedures At Ambulatory Surgery Centers

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.