Determining the Safety of Office-Based Surgery: What Mandatory Reporting Data Reveal

Mandatory reporting of in-office adverse events has been implemented by several states, including Florida and Alabama. These authors reviewed the publicly available data on in-office adverse events from the Agency for Health Care Administration in Florida for 2000–2010 and from the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners for 2003–2009.

In Florida, 46 deaths and 263 serious complications and hospital transfers occurred related to office surgical complications. Of these, 56.5% and 49.8%, respectively, were associated with cosmetic procedures. Of these cosmetic procedures, 67% and 74% were under general anesthesia. Liposuction, with or without abdominoplasty, was involved in 10 deaths and 34 hospital transfers. The specialty most often reporting com…