The New Rules for Outpatient Surgery

In the burgeoning market for outpatient surgery, doctor’s offices have often flown under the radar when it comes to safety oversight -- a subject I discuss in my WSJ column. But last week, a new office-based surgery law went into effect in New York, requiring that physician’s offices that perform surgery with moderate or deep sedation be accredited by one of three independent agencies to make sure they are meeting standards of safety and care. Any office that isn’t accredited is no longer authorized to perform surgery – and any doctor or other medical professional who continues to perform procedures in a non-accredited facility may face professional misconduct charges. Practices also have to report all adverse events to the New York Department of Health. The New York law may serve as a model for other states considering similar measures. Here’s a look at ...