Technology

From seismic policy shifts to blockbuster deals and the accelerating migration of higher-acuity care into the outpatient setting, 2025 was a defining year for the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) industry. ASC News readers gravitated toward stories that captured an industry in transition – one balancing rapid growth and innovation with mounting regulatory action, reimbursement pressures, and questions about scale, ownership and independence. Clinical evolution was another important theme. … [Read more...]

The ambulatory surgery center (ASC) industry is entering 2026 with plenty of momentum, fueled by a shifting regulatory landscape plus rising demand from patients and payers alike. But there are sizable hurdles ASC operators will need to clear as they move forward. To help set the scene, Ambulatory Surgery Center News connected with 12 ASC leaders and market experts, asking them about the trends, challenges and opportunities likely to define 2026 most. Those who participated in this … [Read more...]

Techsomed, Medtronic partner on ablation therapy Techsomed Ltd., a medical AI-powered software company specializing in image-guided therapy, announced a collaboration with Minneapolis-based Medtronic.  The pilot collaboration brings together Techsomed’s BioTraceIO360 software and the Medtronic Emprint microwave ablation system as a solution for image-guided ablation therapy.  By using Techsomed’s planning, visualization and margin confirmation software along with the Emprint ablation … [Read more...]

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...]