On Site Surgical Suite

What does it mean to be an accredited facility?

A SPECIAL PLACE FOR YOUR COSMETIC SURGERY

Dr. Wuest’s On-site Surgical Suite has been inspected and accredited by the American Association for the Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF). Our in-office surgical suite provides a special place for your cosmetic surgery procedures, offering confidentiality, convenience and safety - a quality environment for patient care.

The primary mission of the AAAASF is to ensure the highest quality patient care in the ambulatory surgery setting. All facilities accredited by the AAAASF must meet an extensive set of guidelines and standards. These assure the patient of a commitment to safety and efficiency of the facility and equipment. The AAAASF requires a facility to be 100% compliant with all of its standards to achieve accreditation. Accreditation consists of a three-fold review that includes a site inspection by a trained AAAASF representative, an AAAASF panel assessment of site visit findings, and successful participation in a peer review/quality assurance program.

AN AAAASF CERTIFIED FACILITY MUST:

▸ Comply with applicable local, state, and federal regulations including fire safety, sanitation and building codes for the protection of patients and medical personnel;
▸ Adhere to federal laws and regulations affecting their operation such as OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standards, Hazardous Waste Standards, and the Americans with Disabilities Act;
▸ Utilize advanced instruments and monitoring devices for patient safety during surgery and in the recovery period;
▸ Allow surgery to be performed only by qualified surgeons who have privileges to perform the same surgical procedures in an accredited hospital. Surgeons must meet the standards, such as peer-review and continuing medical education, required for operating in an accredited hospital. Surgeons must also be certified by a surgical board that is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties and must be in compliance with their respective professional society or association.
▸ Verify the certification of personnel assisting in surgery and providing care for the patient. Support personnel must be specially trained and must maintain appropriate licensure and certification for their specialty;
▸ Assure the staff and facility are committed to the “Patient’s Bill of Rights”, ensuring all patients are treated with the courtesy and respect they deserve.

AAAASF facilities are designed for the exclusive use of surgeons and to accommodate their patients’ surgical needs. As a result, other departments required in a hospital center, such as pathology and radiology are unnecessary. The resulting cost savings are passed along to you, the patient. Recent studies have shown that costs to a patient in an accredited ambulatory surgery facility are only one-third to one-half those charged by a hospital for the same procedure. And because the patient is not hospitalized, there are additional significant savings over hospital in-patient care. Also contributing to lower cost is the outstanding safety record of accredited ambulatory facilities - with the incidence of complications comparable to that of a hospital-based ambulatory surgery facility. Safety plus cost consciousness make the accredited ambulatory surgery facility an attractive option for patient procedures.

AAAASF regularly revises and updates its requirements to assure its accredited facilities maintain the highest standards of excellence for the quality and safety of patient care. To maintain certification AAAASF requires an annual in-house evaluation and a formal site inspection every three years.

Dr. Wuest is committed to maintaining the stringent standards set forth by AAAASF, making his accredited facility a special place for your cosmetic surgery procedures.