The day surgery concept was fairly new in Western Australia 20 years ago, when ear, nose, and throat surgeon Stuart Miller started the Colin Street Day Surgery.
One of the first two day surgeries established in WA, and the 10th in Australia, the Colin Street Day Surgery is recognised today as one of the best in the country and an industry standard for day surgeries.
Day surgeries are far more common these days, with Perth’s 10 or so practices helping take the pressure off the state’s hospitals by conducting a variety of minimally invasive surgical procedures that don’t require overnight hospital stays.
Dr Miller established the day surgery in 1987 in an effort to replicate the types of practices he had witnessed while working in the US.
Starting with a small day surgery attached to his office, the surgery now occupies the entire ground floor of its premises at 51 Colin Street in West Perth.
Starting with just two surgeons, the surgery now has 25 permanent staff and treats between 150 and 300 patients a month.
Dr Miller estimates the surgery has treated more than 40,000 people over its 20-year history, mostly for plastic surgery, both reconstructive and cosmetic, as well as ear, nose, and throat surgery, opthamology, and dental and oral surgery.
“It’s been recognised that quite a bit of surgery can be done this way. It’s accepted as a health care norm,” he said.
“A lot of surgery is classed as minimally invasive and doesn’t require a lot of nursing care afterwards.”
In addition to helping relieve the pressures on hospitals, one of the main drivers behind the day surgery was to provide a more cost-effective option for patients without insurance.
While the impact of day surgeries on the health care system has not been quantified, Dr Miller said he had been advised that the savings realised by the day surgery on the health care system ran into the billions of dollars.
