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Downtown Surgery Center

Frequently Asked Questions

The following is a list of our most frequently asked questions. If you have a question that is not answered here, please give us a call at (407) 650-0051.

Recovery periods vary from person to person and from procedure to procedure due to length of each surgery. A rule of thumb is that you can usually expect that longer procedures will require longer recovery periods and shorter procedures require shorter ones. For a half hour procedure, you might have a half hour recovery period. For a one hour procedure, you might have a one hour recovery period. The average recovery is between half an hour to an hour and a half.

Family members may join patients, if they choose, up until the time of their procedure. At that time, we ask that family members remain in the waiting room until the procedure is complete. When you return to the recovery room and awaken, your family may once again join you. Parents will be asked to remain at the center for the entire time of any pediatric procedures so that they may be present as the child awakens. Your child’s comfort, by you the parent is an important part of recovery.

There are many people behind the scenes that perform to an exemplary level allowing your time at our center to be special. There are instrument technicians processing equipment, OR technicians pulling, preparing and assisting in your case and office staff that collect information. Prior to your procedure, your insurance benefits are verified by office staff. Your charts are reviewed by nurses and anesthesia and your case is prepared by OR technicians. The entire team at Downtown Surgery Center works toward the same goal: we want to exceed your expectations.

Questions related to surgery itself or preparation should be directed to the Downtown Surgery Center at (407) 650-0051. Specific questions related to your specific case or problems afterward should be directed to the surgeon’s office. In the case of an emergency call the physician office for the on-call physician or report directly to the emergency room. You are always welcome to call the our center for direction in a non-emergent situation.

There are two reasons. One, sometimes physicians get ahead of schedule and it is important that the next patient be available and ready for their procedure. Two, patients go through an assessment phase by nurses’ and anesthesiologists in preparation for their procedures. This takes time and, so that no patients feel rushed, it is important that all involved have time to make their contribution to your care.

The policy of this center, as with many health care facilities across the nation is that patients pay their portion of co-insurance and any remaining deductible at the time of the procedure. This helps to keep the collection prices down, thus the cost of doing business at a minimum. Ambulatory surgery centers are paid 46% less than hospitals, on average for procedures, and thus, efficiency of care including collections, is extremely important.

Historically, insurances that are contracted pay at a contracted rate, some pay a percentage of charge and self pay patients are at a minimum percentage of charge. The total amount is elevated because it is the norm that no one pays 100% of the charge. Insurances, third party payers, medicare and self pay patients all pay at a negotiated rate. Traditionally, all payers/insurances and self pay patients pay less to an ambulatory surgery center than they pay to hospitals. Ambulatory surgery centers are well known for cost efficient care. Downtown Surgery Center is nationally ranked as an efficient center, and you will save money by having surgery in an ASC versus a hospital.

ASCs (Ambulatory Surgery Centers), including the Downtown Surgery Center are known for their efficiency of care, quality outcomes and low cost of care in comparison to their hospital competition. Ambulatory surgery is our specialty and thus, we have established a reputation for excellence in what we do. We aim to “exceed the expectations” of you our customer. We have succeeded in that goal of over 90% of the our customers before you, we have confidence we will do that for you.

Sometimes patients do owe more after the procedure because the physician performed more than was anticipated at the time of registration and/or there were implants and supplies used that were unknown at the time of registration.