The Ambulatory Surgery Cs (ASCs), which allows the patient to return home on the same day after a surgical procedure is performed, could be a novel platform for the Indian healthcare industry to grow. In coming years, the healthcare industry would have a number of players in the sector, according to health care experts.

ASCs, also known as outpatient surgery centres or same-day surgery centres, is a well established model of minor and intermediate surgeries in western countries. In the US, almost 75 per cent of the surgeries is carried out through the outpatient surgery centres. The model is both cost efficient for the centres and the patients and the quality of care is comparatively better than the normal hospitals, comments Dr Chitranjan S Ranawat, renowned orthopaedicc and knee surgeon and chairman, Ranawat Orthopaedic Centre Lenox Hill, New York, United States.

"It took almost 30 years for ASC industry to grow in US and we have seen several big hospital firms ing into the sector after identifying the potential. The ASCs increase the accessibility and affordability of surgery to the common patient and the sector has huge potential in India," said Dr Ranawat.

In India, where there is an acute shortage of health care capacity and with adequate availability of surgeons, the ASC industry can play a better role to deliver surgery related services. Compared to a normal hospital the surgical centres need less space to set up operations. A surgical centre with four operation theatres need a 10,000 sq ft built up area and could be set up with an investment of Rs 10 crore, while the hospital may need 85,000 sq ft at least and an investment of Rs 100 to 150 crore for its operation. The same day surgery centres can also offer better services to patients in almost 20 per cent lesser cost than the charges in other hospitals, points out Girish Rao, managing director and chief executive officer, Nova Medical Centres Pvt Ltd, the first ASC network launched in India recently. The chances of patients getting infected in hospital conditions is also less compared to the normal hospitals.

"In US, it took almost 30 years for the model to claim the major share of the total surgeries happening in the country. In India, we are just introducing the model and it will take some time for it to get established. But we believe that almost 35 to 40 per cent of the total surgeries in India will be executed through ASCs in India within a few years," said Rao.

The ASC model can play a supplementary role to the large hospitals, through which the firms can carry out minor and even some of the complex surgeries in general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedics, ENT, ophthalmology, plastic and cosmetic surgery, paediatricc surgery, urology and gastrointestinal procedures, added Dr Anil S Ranawat, sports medicine and joint preservation surgeon, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York.

"In next five to 10 year's time, we expect that almost all major hospitals in India will build their outpatient surgery centres, as the model offers huge potential and these companies are in the best place to use the opportunity," said Dr Anil. "Either they will acquire small ASC firms or will start their own facilities," added Dr Ranawat.