Technology

Robotic surgery can help surgeons perform complex procedures with greater precision, flexibility and control. As a result, the robotic surgery market is growing quickly – especially in orthopedics.  In 2024, the global market for robotic surgical procedures was valued at over $11 billion. The market is expected to grow from $13.3 million in 2025 to $42.2 billion in 2032, according to data from Fortune Business Insights.  North America dominated the robotic surgical procedures market, … [Read more...]

A recent study published in the medical journal Urology found that performing aquablation for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) at an ambulatory surgical center (ASC) is both safe and effective – potentially shifting toward less invasive, same-day treatments for men with enlarged prostates.  Researchers at Potomac Urology Center in Alexandria, Virginia, conducted the first-ever pilot trial to assess the feasibility of aquablation as an outpatient procedure for men with moderate-to-severe … [Read more...]

Petal Surgical has entered the health care scene with a goal to remove the need for incisions during surgery.  On Oct. 20, the company, which was founded in 2021, announced it had raised nearly $20 million in funding, including a $10 million Series A round, to accomplish precisely that.  This funding will not only enable the company to expand its goals and technology, but also continue recruiting new talent to support its innovative surgical approach, which uses acoustic liquefaction — a … [Read more...]

When the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its new Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model this summer, the agency framed the program as an effort to cut down on unnecessary spending, fraud and abuse in Medicare.  But for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), the six-year test could mean new layers of prior authorization, administrative work and uncertainty around how advanced technologies will be applied in clinical decisions. The voluntary … [Read more...]

While once mostly used mainly in hospitals, electronic health record systems (EHRs) are growing in popularity in outpatient settings. Yet integrating EHRs in the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) setting, where margins are tight and staff limited, is no small feat. Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center President Melissa Rice said the payoff is worth it. “Upfront, it could look a little mundane, but it also then saves you time on the back end,” Rice said on ASCA’s Advancing Surgical Care Podcast. … [Read more...]

Trauma surgeon Ronen Elefant is flying surgeons into rural hospitals and outpatient clinics, inspired by his own experiences in health care. ACES, short for Aviation-Commuting Employment Solutions, is a startup that aims to help rural hospitals and smaller towns that struggle to recruit surgeons. “The problem that it solves is bringing top-notch surgeons to rural areas that otherwise would not get the best of the best,” Elefant told ASC News. “Most surgeons who are at the top of their … [Read more...]

Already looking ahead to 2026, ambulatory surgery center (ASC) leaders are making plans for where they’ll put their dollars to work. Outpatient demand continues to climb, and with the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) steadily opening the door to more procedures in the ASC setting, operators are thinking carefully about how to match that growth with the right investments. To get a better sense of what’s on the radar of surgery centers, ASC News asked operators to pull … [Read more...]

Ambulatory surgery center (ASC) operators can break the firefighting cycle of last-minute staffing by using data, forecasting and a ready bench of familiar, flexible clinicians. And utilizing third-party staffing solutions doesn’t just fill gaps; smarter staffing can also minimize full-time employee turnover and save facilities tens of thousands of dollars annually – and millions over time. Medely executive Phil Galligan explored these and other staffing topics during a recent ASC News … [Read more...]

Despite the GLP-1 craze, bariatric surgery may result in greater weight loss at significantly lower cost, according to a recently published study. The findings strengthen the case for expanding bariatric programs in outpatient settings. “Obesity is a heterogeneous disease,” researcher George Eid said in a podcast interview with JAMA Network. “Not everybody responds the same way; not everybody will have the same effect. Some patients will require surgery. You have a subgroup where … [Read more...]

Electronic health record (EHR) usage among ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) continues to climb. That’s according to the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association’s (ASCA) July 2025 60-Second Survey. The survey found that 76% of ASCs now use an EHR. That’s the highest percentage since ASCA began asking the question in 2021, reflecting the increasing importance of EHR technology. “It's probably a few industry [and] health care trends happening simultaneously,” ASCA regulatory counsel Alex … [Read more...]