Advanced Eye Centers – FAQs

An Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) is a medical facility for surgical treatment that doesn’t require admittance into a hospital. Our rooms are equipped with the same equipment found in hospitals – in fact, since an ASC is a dedicated surgery center, many times our rooms have more advanced equipment than most hospitals.

An ASC environment offers a more relaxed environment, since our procedures are performed on otherwise healthy people who haven’t been suffering from long-term illnesses.

They provide a safe, cost-effective, caring and convenient environment that is less stressful than a large hospital environment. Given the nature of our facility, we are also not interrupted by emergency care situations, and so we are able to dedicate 100% of our focus to our patients during surgery.

Almost 10 million surgeries are performed at more than 4,800 surgery centers throughout the United States each year. Over 50% of all surgeries are now being performed on an outpatient basis.

Yes, since Advanced Eye Surgery Center is Medicare-certified, so we are subject to strict federal regulations. In addition, Advanced Eye Surgery Center is fully accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC).

Yes, our operating and recovery rooms at Advanced Eye Surgery Center have emergency and defibrillator equipment available on hand. Our medical staff is fully trained to handle emergency situations. In the event a patient needs hospital admission, you will be transferred via ambulance to St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Yes, all attending physicians at Advanced Eye Surgery Center are fully board certified according to the regulations set forth by the Board of Ophthalmology.

You will be required to have an EKG and a history & physical with your primary care physician prior to your surgery. You will also need an appointment in our office for an A-scan (eye measurement) or other testing that is required before your procedure.

Yes, prior to each procedure one of our staff members will call the patient to review their medical history and pre-op instructions. Patients will have the opportunity to have all of their questions answered at that time.

Yes, all patients will be asked to review and sign a consent for the surgical procedure as well as a consent for anesthesia to be administered.

No, Advanced Eye Surgery Center does not honor Advanced Directives. In an emergency, we will resuscitate all patients and transport them to St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

You must refrain from eating and/or drinking 6 hours prior to surgery (unless told otherwise) in order to prevent the risks of aspirating gastric contents during your surgery. This complication is very serious and you need to strictly abide by our recommendations. These are all based on national safety standards.

You will be instructed by our staff member as to which medications you must take the morning of your surgery. Generally, we request that you take most medications on the morning of surgery. You can take them with a sip of water. People using inhalers must bring them to the surgery center on the day of surgery. Some medications will be held the morning of surgery, particularly diabetes medication. If you were advised not to take your diabetes medication the morning of surgery, you should bring these medications with you to the surgery center.

The length of your stay depends on the procedure that is performed. The average stay at our facility is 2 to 3 hours for most visits.

You will receive an IV placed in your hand or arm by the Anesthesia Department. You will receive a combination of relaxing medication as well as numbing medication for your eye. Most patients experience minimal to no discomfort during the surgery.

There is no prescribed time to stay with us after surgery. You will be permitted to go home as soon as we feel it is safe to discharge you. Feel reassured that you will be permitted to stay as long as necessary.

You may return to your normal medications and most of your daily activities after the surgery. We ask that you do not drive or make any legal binding decisions for 24 hours due to the sedation that you received at the surgery center.

Patients will not be allowed to drive, walk or take public transportation home after anesthesia. Any patient receiving anesthesia should not drive until the next day. A patient receiving sedation for a procedure needs a ride home. We also strongly recommend that all patients be received by a responsible adult when they arrive home.

We will ask that they stay in the reception / waiting room area. There may be exceptions, for example, patients who have an authorized guardianship or patients who have an activated health care proxy. We plan to unite all families as soon as it is safely possible after the recovery period has concluded.

Patients are responsible for deductibles, co-payments and remaining balances the day of the procedure.

Anesthesia Professionals, Inc. provides anesthesia services at the Advanced Eye Surgery Center. A team consisting of a certified nurse anesthetist will care for you. This team approach provides maximum patient safety.

Yes, your insurance will be billed separately for your anesthesia services. Anesthesia Professionals, Inc. participates in most health plans. If you have any financial concerns, you may call 401-826-8720 or toll free at 800-521-APRO.