Is Tubal Reversal Surgery Safer in a Hospital?
In a recent email inquiry, someone asked if it would be safer to have tubal reversal surgery in a hospital. My response – “It is much safer to have tubal reversal surgery performed at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center than in a hospital.”
Infection and Medication Error Risks in Hospitals
Roughly 100,000 people wind up with a potentially deadly infection during hospital treatment in the US each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Hospital-acquired infections (also called “nosocomial” infections) are particularly dangerous, since hospital germs are especially resistant to antibiotics. One example in the news recently is the bacteria called methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Most of these dangerous bacteria are transmitted by hospital staff from other patients. In addition, hospital patients get the wrong drug one time out of five, according to a study by Auburn University.
Patient-safety incidents continue to rise in American hospitals. The largest increases involve hospital-acquired infections and post operative sepsis (overwhelming infection).
A Chicago Tribune study revealed that serious violations of infection-control standards have been found in the vast majority of hospitals nationally. Since 1995, more than 75 percent of all hospitals have been cited for significant cleanliness and sanitation violations. This report says:
A hidden epidemic of life-threatening infections is contaminating America’s hospitals, needlessly killing tens of thousands of patients each year. Nearly three-quarters of the deadly infections are preventable, the result of unsanitary facilities, germ-laden instruments, unwashed hands and other lapses.
Deaths linked to hospital germs represent the fourth leading cause of mortality among Americans, behind heart disease, cancer and strokes, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These infections kill more people each year than car accidents, fires and drowning combined.
“The number of people needlessly killed by hospital infections is unbelievable, but the public doesn’t know anything about it,” said Dr. Barry Farr, a leading infection-control expert and president of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
Dr. Berger’s Comment
When it comes to cleanliness and strict adherence to infection control procedures, there is no medical or surgical facility better than Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. Our patients often comment about the meticulous nature of our facility. It is clean, orderly, and uncluttered. We are obsessive about this.
The idea that it may be safer to have elective surgery in a hospital is wrong. Hospitals are the right place for treating complicated medical or surgical problems, but they are not the best place for healthy people to have tubal reversal surgery!
Note
Dr. Berger was an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
January 18th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Infection control is such an important aspect of patient care and one that I think all patients should consider when choosing a facility and/or surgeon. We maintain the most sterile environment possible and hope that our patients notice this. We want all aspects of patient care to be perfect here and dedicate outselves to achieving this goal!
January 17th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Thanks Sally, you have said it all! I too can’t think of a safer facility in which to have outpatient surgery.
January 17th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I’ve been an Operating Room Nurse for 10 years and I’ve worked in many different operating rooms. Our facility exceeds expectations in the department of infection control. We are meticulous with infection control measures and our staff are well trained in sterility and aseptic technique.
January 17th, 2008 at 11:45 am
As a surgical Technician at Chapel Hill tubal Reversal Center my job entails not only assisting Dr. Berger during the procedure, but also cleaning the instruments we use and the facility we work in daily. This allows me to be positive in the sterility of the tools we use and the enviornment we use them in. The difference between here and a larger hospital is the confidence we can provide in care to the patient. At a larger hospital there are multiple departments separately dealing with the issues of infection control, whereas at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center we all work as a single team to address these issues.
January 17th, 2008 at 10:08 am
The one-on-one patient care at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is amazing. Every staff member from the office personnel, nursing, housekeeping, and maintenance strive for excellence in their area. Infection control is considered a part of everybody’s job description and it is taken very seriously. I don’t believe a safer facility for outpatient surgery can be found.
January 17th, 2008 at 9:41 am
I think tubal reversal surgery is safer at the Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center than at a hospital. Dr. Berger is very serious when it comes down to caring for his patients and keeping the surgical center free from infectious diseases. You can not get the one-on-one care at any hospital that you get at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center.
January 17th, 2008 at 8:52 am
I worked in a hospital from 1995 to late 1997 before starting work for Dr. Berger in early 1998. I can attest whole heartedly that Dr. Berger’s facilities (Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center and Chapel Hill Surgical Center) are kept extremely clean and as “sterile”. The hospital I came from was not cleaned well and nosocomial infections were common. A healthy patient undergoing an elective surgery certainly should use a private surgical center like ours!
January 17th, 2008 at 7:24 am
I believe that another important aspect to keep in mind when choosing between a hospital or outpatient surgical center is the staff to patient ratio. The patient care is so much more personalized. One can also find comfort in knowing that the staff are specifically trained to care for tubal reversal patients.
January 16th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
This is one of the more important blog topics since patient safety and infection control should be a priority for any healthcare facility. At Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center and Chapel Hill Surgical Center both are a priority. Each patient for surgery has a panel of lab tests to assess her health status as well as the presence of communicable diseases such as hepatitis B & C. Although this testing is not required in most hospitals, Dr. Berger has set higher standards, which benefits patients and employees.
January 16th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I can not count the number of times that patients comment on the appearance and cleanliness of the facility. I think that just goes to show the commitment to excellent patient care. I think that it is often the little things that make the difference. Just about all of the patients comment about how at ease they feel once they walk through the doors. It is nice to know that when patients come to Chapel Hill, not only are they have their surgery performed by the best tubal reversal doctor, but they are also having their surgery at the best facility. It is apparent that each employee strives to meet the standards that are set in place for us.