The Choice: Hospital or Surgery Centre

"Should I do my cataracts surgery (or other procedures) in a hospital or a surgery centre?"

This is a common question our patients have, and is is not unexpected - since the cost can vary significantly.

Service Scope

A hospital provides a wide range of services including diagnostic radiology and emergency medicine, and would likely be more equipped to support complex cases. The hospital system is very important is providing holistic care - for instance a patient presenting with tuberculosis and treated with a drug called Ethambutol may subsequently need Ophthalmology care (since the drug may cause serious vision changes). The hospital systems allows for the cross-disciplinary care to happen more seamlessly.

A surgery centre typically serves elective surgery cases that do not require an overnight stay, and is designed for efficiency. You could think of this as a bare-bones solution for patients who do not require what a hospital system provides.

Prices

Often, the hospital facility fee would cost more than that of a surgery centre (quite expectedly). This is due to the wider range of services that are available to the patient, including world-class meals and concierge. Surgery centres tend to be more 'simple' in terms of the width of services they provide, but most certainly does not mean that they are unprofessional.

Insurance Coverage

It is important to understand your insurance plan's coverage as they may have selected facilities that they provide more or less coverage. Typically (but may not always be true), corporate insurances would give coverage for private hospital admissions. While some shield plans would give coverage for private hospital admission, not all do, and due to the co-payment, generally the surgery centre would result in a lower total bill, thus a lower co-pay amount that the patient would need to fork out.

If you are uninsured or only have the basic Medishield plan that covers admissions to a Government Restructured Hospital, then it would be most likely that the surgery centre would give a lower final bill as compared to a private hospital, which means a lower out-of-pocket amount. The basic Medishield plan (without any integrated plan or IP) covers private hospital day surgery with a pro-ration of 25% - read about Medishield coverage here.

Suitability

Patients who are relatively healthy without significant comorbidities would generally be suitable for a surgery centre procedure, while conversely a patient who is likely to require intensive monitoring or unexpected intervention would be better-off in a hospital setting.

Your Experience

Your experience depends on your expectations - and indeed no two persons' expectations are the same. Some of our patients prefer the additional services provided by a hospital, such as an overnight stay with meals, and the availability of options such as a private suite; while other patients feel that a surgery centre feels less intimidating or anxiety-inducing as it is smaller and less 'busy', with the benefit of a lower price tag.

Undecided? Why not consult with us?

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Fun fact: ECG is done for patients above 40 years old who wish to undergo cataracts surgery. If you do not have a usual cardiologist that you visit, we can arrange for it to be done at a nearby heart clinic. The results need to be within 3 months of the surgery date.