Office Based Surgery is any surgery or surgical procedure: excision, or resection, partial or complete destruction, incision or other structural alteration of human tissue by any means; including but not limited to lasers, pulsed light, radio frequency, or medical microwave devise; not exempted by these rules, upon the body of a living human being for the purpose of preserving health, diagnosing or curing disease, repairing injury, correcting deformity or defect, prolonging like, relieving suffering or any elective procedure for aesthetic, reconstructive or cosmetic purposes, performed in an office based setting. Procedures are exempt if they use only local, topical or regional anesthesia or a single oral dose of either an analgesic or a sedative. Additionally the use of Monitored Anesthesia Care, Inhalation Anesthetics or Neuroleptanalgesia must follow OBS rules. General Anesthesia in the Office Based setting is prohibited.
Are you performing Office Based Surgery in your practice?
You might be if your patients have a change in their level of consciousness from any medication. Please review LSBME rules, LAC 46:XLV.7301 et seq.
Will LSBME Office Based Surgery rules apply to your practice?
LSBME grants exemptions if the facility where the procedure takes place is accredited by any of the following:
Licensed by Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
The American Association for the Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities
Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Healthcare
What should physicians report if they are engaged in Office Based Surgery?
Physicians should report to the Board, in writing, within fifteen days any of the following events:
An unanticipated transport of the patient from the facility to a hospital emergency department
An unplanned readmission to the office based surgery facility within 72 hours of discharge from the facility
An unscheduled hospital admission of the patient within 72 hours of discharge from the facility
The death of a patient within 30 days of a procedure at an office based surgery facility
How should I report these events?
You can report with the following form Office Based Surgery Event Form
Where should I send the report?
You can submit the form electronically to officebasedsurgeryreport@lsbme.la.gov or mail to the LSBME Office Based Surgery Compliance Officer at 630 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA 70130.