COST-CONTAINMENT - A CHARGE COMPARISON OF ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION

Two matched groups of patients who underwent endoscopic anterior cruci ate ligament reconstruction using the middle one third of the patellar tendon were retrospectively reviewed to compare hospitalization charg es. Group 1 had the procedure performed in the outpatient surgical cen ter owned by our hospital, and group 2 underwent the surgical procedur e in the main operating suite of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center. The charges of the surgical procedure and their relation to po stoperative hospitalization were reviewed. An average charge differenc e of $7,390 (range, $3,679 to $12,202) was obtained in the outpatient surgical center. A number of surgical and anesthetic techniques are di scussed that allow major reductions in charges for anterior cruciate l igament reconstruction and allow outpatient surgery to be performed ro utinely.