Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) are healthcare facilities that provide surgical procedures on an outpatient basis and typically do not require an overnight or lengthy stay in a hospital. Examples of this include cataract surgery, upper GI endoscopies, and colonoscopies. Total joint replacement surgeries have also been migrating to ASCs.
ASCs are big business. From the creation of the first ASC in 1970, the industry has grown so rapidly that, as of July 2016, there were 5,486 ASC facilities certified by Medicare, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).