title: Cost containment: a charge comparison of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
abstract: Two matched groups of patients who underwent endoscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using the middle one third of the patellar tendon were retrospectively reviewed to compare hospitalization charges. Group 1 had the procedure performed in the outpatient surgical center owned by our hospital, and group 2 underwent the surgical procedure in the main operating suite of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center. The charges of the surgical procedure and their relation to postoperative hospitalization were reviewed. An average charge difference of $7,390 (range, $3,679 to $12,202) was obtained in the outpatient surgical center. A number of surgical and anesthetic techniques are discussed that allow major reductions in charges for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and allow outpatient surgery to be performed routinely.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush Medical College, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Novak
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bush-Joseph
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Badrinath
mesh_terms: D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics*; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery*; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D003363:Cost Control; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000191:economics*; D017722:Hospital Charges; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000191:economics; D012189:Retrospective Studies