Why Your Surgery Center’s Accreditation Matters

Dr. Ary Krau — Sat, 12 Nov 2016 14:00:03 +0000

While many patients focus on the type of procedure they want and the reputation of their surgeon, patients should also research the type of facility where their procedure will take place — and whether that facility is accredited.

Surgeons who perform procedures in a non-accredited facility are often trying to reduce costs. This should be a red flag for patients. A desire to work in a sub-standard facility could indicate that a surgeon’s credentials are not up-to-date, or that his or her privileges have been suspended at an accredited surgery center. It is possible that this has resulted from medical errors or behavior issues.

Dr. Ary Krau, who has performed thousands of procedures in his facility, which is fully accredited by the state of Florida, strongly advises that patients do not put themselves at risk with regard to the type of facility they choose. Below he discusses the importance of accreditation and how the accreditation process works.
Requirements for Surgical Facility Accreditation

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) requires that member surgeons perform procedures in a facility that meets established standards for quality and safety. An accredited facility must meet national standards for equipment, safety, personnel and surgeon credentials, including the following:

A rate of complications less than one-half of 1 percent
An extremely low mortality rate (less than 1 in 57,000)
Lower costs than average

Procedures and Accreditation

In addition to the facilities, all procedures (other than those requiring only local anesthetic and/or mild oral sedation,) performed in an accredited facility must be possess one of the following:

A license from the state in which the facility operates
Accreditation from the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF)
Accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC)
Accreditation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
Certification to participate in the Medicare program under Title XVIII

Certifying Bodies

There are three bodies that certify surgery centers in the United States:

The Joint Commission (JCAHO) is a non-profit independent organization that holds the strictest requirements for certification
The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) is a non-profit organization that certifies ambulatory facilities through peer-based review
The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities (AAAASF) is a non-profit organization that provides certification for outpatient and office-based surgical centers.

For answers to any questions about accreditation or any of your cosmetic surgery needs, please call Dr. Krau at (305) 861-6881 to schedule an appointment.

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Are Silicone Breast Implants Safe? Can Silicone Lead to Potential Health Problems?

Dr. Ary Krau — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 17:08:24 +0000

In 1992 there was a moratorium on the use of silicone implants both in the United States, as well as in France. The rest of the world did not stop using them. The reason for the moratorium was due to the suspicion that silicone was associated with autoimmune diseases. These diseases are mostly seen in women and usually present in the late 20”s and early 30”s. The same age when women chose to undergo breast augmentation. There were cases of women who underwent silicone breast augmentation that subsequently developed a form of autoimmune disease. It was these cases that prompted the moratorium. The question was did the silicone implants cause the onset of these diseases. The challenge was to see if, in fact, the silicone exposure cause these women to develop autoimmune disease. To answer this question, as is done with other medical studies, the scientific method was utilized. That is, large groups of women both with silicone implants and without were evaluated as to the incidence of autoimmune disease. The findings were that women with silicone implants had the same incidence of autoimmune disease as women without silicone implants. That is, 1 in 50,000 women without silicone implants can expect to develop a form of autoimmune disease, and 1 in 50,000 women with silicone implants also can expect to develop this disease. This same statistic is extremely reliable to suggest silicone’s safety. In 1999, more than 400 scientists from around the world looked at all available data and were convinced of silicon’s safety. Between the years 1995 and 2006, hundreds of thousands of women were enrolled in studies to ascertain silicon’s safety. This 10 year study was submitted to the FDA. They concluded that silicone was safe and approved its use in 2006. Dr. Ary Krau was one of the lead investigators that began using the new cohesive silicone breast implants in Miami in 1995. He personally has not had any patients that developed any form of autoimmune disease subsequent to augmentation.

Additionally, silicone is present in many products in use, such as hair products, antiperspirants and skin products. When silicone is applied on the skin surface it is easily absorbed through the skin into the body. Thus, silicone is quite pervasive and probably exists at some level in many people that do not have breast implants.

The post Are Silicone Breast Implants Safe? Can Silicone Lead to Potential Health Problems? appeared first on Ary Krau MD.

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Why Your Surgery Center’s Accreditation Matters

Are Silicone Breast Implants Safe? Can Silicone Lead to Potential Health Problems?