Can I choose to have rhinoplasty done in a hospital instead of an office for safety reasons?

We do not like performing rhinoplasty at our local hospital, and we prefer using our surgical center. The reason is that our anesthesiologist and assistant are the same, and all of our rhinoplasty instruments are kept in excellent condition. There are too many variables at the hospital to provide a consistently positive experience for our patients. Thank you. Dr Joseph 

First and foremost, you want to choose the surgeon who will provide you with the best results and someone that you feel comfortable with.  Where that surgeon operates is important because surgery is like a well choreographed dance and all the personnel involved in your surgical procedure are part of your surgeon's cast in that dance.  If your surgeon has a good reputation, they likely operate out of an accredited surgical facility which is easy to check on.  Well accredited outpatient facilities who use board certified anesthesiologists are exceedingly safe as well as comfortable for you.  

Rhinoplasty surgery can be performed safely in a hospital setting or in an out patient surgery center setting.  If performed by a board certified plastic surgeon you should feel confident in the safety in both of these environments.  This is because of the fact that the american board of plastic surgeons has standards that it holds its members to with regard to where they operate.  As far as office based rhinoplasty, smaller procedures can be done safely, but here are certain things I personally would not do.

Your parents may be doctors, but they are incorrect. Very good data spanning many years show that hospitals are the LEAST safe option for elective plastic surgery. The safest place to have surgery is in an accredited office based operating room. The next safest place is an accredited ambulatory surgery center. Pick the right surgeon and they’ll do it in the right place. 

You can have your surgery at the hospital but expect to pay a lot more than in a surgicenter. Also the surgeon may decline to perform it in the hospital for a variety of reasons, including scheduling, working with personnel  and equipment he or she usually doesn’t  use, inconvenience and overall hassle. I perform my rhinoplasties in an office surgicenter. If a patient wanted to have a rhinoplasty done in the hospital and was adamant I would tell her to go elsewhere.

I typically perform my surgeries in a hospital facility with a team of board-certified anesthesiologists and multiple nursing teams.  Please refer to my previous answer on anesthesia safety.
Best,
Mark K Markarian, MD, MSPH, FACS

Harvard-trained Board Certified Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon

Hello and thank you for  your question. General anesthesia in accredited facilities (e.g. office OR) is very safe. Having said that, you surgeon can probably do the surgery at a local hospital (at an extra cost) where he is affiliated with. I would discuss this with your surgeon.Best,
Pejman
Aflaki, M.D.
Johns
Hopkins-trained double board-certified plastic surgeon

Hi
As long as the OR is accredited by a legitimate governing body (i.e. AAAASF, AAHC, JACHO etc)., performing surgery in the office OR is safe. I would even argue infection risks are lower too as hospital OR's are also used for types of patients, even those with active infections. You could use a hospital OR, but the cost will be significantly higher. 

Best,

Obaid Chaudhry, MD
Fellowship Trained Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon

Hi and welcome to our forum!Basically, a surgery center is a hospital without in-patient beds. The operating rooms contain the same equipment and emergency drugs as in a hospital setting. The only difference is that in a hospital during daytime hours, you can always find a physician of almost any specialty within minutes in an emergency, while in a surgery center,. it would mandate a transfer to a hospital. This is an extremely uncommon circumstance. One can always request the procedure to be performed in a hospital setting. Put it on your list of questions for your physician.Best wishes...