Office surgeries prompt concern

Wednesday, May 4, 2005 | 9 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- As doctors perform more surgeries in their offices, an assemblywoman wants to determine if there are more injuries and deaths from those procedures than occur in a hospital or surgery center.

Assemblywoman Susan Gerhardt, D-Las Vegas, who worked as office manager for 10 years for doctors and dentists, told the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee Tuesday there aren't any reports required to judge if there are increased "adverse outcomes" of the office surgery.

Assembly Bill 120, passed unanimously by the committee and sent to the floor of the Senate, would require annual reports by physicians of the number of surgeries and any poor outcomes.

Gerhardt called it the "first step" to determine if there is a problem. If there is, then the 2007 Legislature could look at it.

Assemblyman Garn Mabey, R-Las Vegas, who is a physician, said he had mixed emotions about the bill. He said some physicians may be performing surgery in their offices because they can't get hospital privileges. But he said it means more paperwork for the physicians.

"It's a compromise," Mabey told the committee.

Larry Mathias, executive director of the Nevada Medical Association, said there may be some resistance from doctors who are faced with more paperwork, but he said it is a "fundamental important issue."

Sen. John Lee, D-North Las Vegas, was concerned about inspections of offices to determine if equipment is proper. Mathias said the state Health Division inspects the offices if there is a lab but not for the equipment.

Tony Clark, executive director of the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners, said it licenses doctors but does not inspect their offices.

"We don't have the capability," he said.

Sen. Joe Heck, R-Las Vegas, a physician, said it would be a major task to inspect thousands of offices of physicians.

"Let's see if we have a problem first," he said.