Outpatient surgeries at freestanding medical centers are growing in popularity, but for all their promise, gaps in tracking superbugs and other infections fuel concern
When the wear and tear on Richard Merrell’s shoulder finally became too painful to bear this past fall, the Virginia-based firefighter opted to forgo a hospital visit. He turned instead to an outpatient medical facility in suburban Maryland where a surgeon shaved down his frayed cartilage, connected some tissue to the shoulder socket and drilled a few holes in the bone to stimulate the growth of new cartilage. Within hours of the operation, Merrell was free to go home. Six months later, he is pain-free, with no apparent side effects.
May 19, 2014 | By Dina Fine Maron [button type=”medium” color=”black” link=”http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/under-the-knife-where-infections-fly-under-the-radar/” ]Read more[/button]
