Pros and Cons of a Freestanding Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Versus a Hospital-Based Operating Room

A 25-year-old healthy male patient with no significant past medical history visits his doctor after a right knee injury 1 week ago. The patient says to the doctor, “I was playing basketball with my buddies last week when I heard a pop and felt a lot of pain in my knee.” After a visit to the local emergency room following the incident, the patient was told that he had a torn meniscus in his right knee and would need corrective surgery. The patient is visiting his doctor today in order to determine the next step. He asks the doctor, “Where’s the best place to go to get my knee fixed?”.